Serendipity
by Rac4hel414
Summary: Gabriella Montez is a bestselling author and has been set the challenge of writing a romance novel by her agent. She believes that everything is black and white where love is concerned. She must learn that sometimes things aren't always as they seem.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys. Well, this is my new stories. I've officially finished the six chapters. And I'm going to update once a week (every wednesday, my time) so that if I get bogged down with school stuff, I'll always have chapters to update with :)**

**Here's a full summary: Gabriella is a bestselling author and has spent the last three years on book tours. With a recently adopted three year old daughter, Gabriella moves back to Scarborough, her hometown, to write her latest challenge set by her agent: a love story. Whilst losing faith in her talent, Gabriella meets her father's assisstant manager, Troy Bolton. He's everything she despises: arrogant, conceted and he has a beard! She thinks there are no way they can ever get along and they'll never have anything in common. She comes to learn that the black and white colours she had imagined love to be is a lot more blurry than she thought.**

**I hope you enjoy it. Sorry about the suckish summary. You guys know I don't do summaries well! Btw, Scarborough is a small seaside town on the East coast of England.

* * *

**

Chapter 1

"I can't believe you're a mum!" Kelsi exclaimed as she placed her coffee cup down.

Gabriella smiled appreciatively to the young girl who had just asked for her autograph. "Kels, calm down. You're starting to sound like Sharpay," she joked, referring to their extravagant, over-dramatic friend.

Kelsi gasped in horror. "You take that back." Despite her quiet demeanour around strangers, Kelsi was quite loud around her friends and had several ongoing arguments with a few of them, especially with Sharpay. They had several differences, especially their fashion sense but they were so close, they were practically sisters. And because Gabriella had Carmen, she knew sisters when she saw them.

Gabriella laughed heartily. "Oh come on, Kels! It's not like I got knocked up. I just adopted her. It's a little different, don't you think?"

Kelsi sipped her coffee and glanced at her friend. "I guess. But even so! I never thought I'd see the day when Gabriella Carolee Elizabeth Annalisa Loretta Montez had a kid before she was married," Kelsi exclaimed.

Gabriella glanced around Costa Coffee, the closest thing Scarborough had to a Starbucks. "Kels, I invited you to coffee so that we could have a mature conversation. I have a lot I need to talk about. Stop making it sound like I got pregnant."

Kelsi's face softened. "I'm sorry, Gabs. I guess I was a little shocked to see you after three years with a daughter."

Gabriella cradled her cup in her hands. It was true. She'd been away from Scarborough, the greatest place in the world, just for her book tours. It wasn't so bad. She'd travelled the world, seen so many beautiful places and had had each of her books at number one on the New York Times hardback and paperback bestseller lists for longer than a year. She'd met some of her heroes and she'd met loads of her fans, too. The worst part was that she spent the last three years sleeping in hotel rooms. Truthfully, it got a bit lonely. She knew she was lucky and she was honestly grateful. Not to mention how she treated her fans like best friends and so she had spent the last three years meeting thousands of her closest friends. But nothing could beat sitting on the roof of Greg's stables and watching the sunset. No horns, no engines and no arguing drivers. Just...bliss.

Now she had someone to share it all with. Amber Montez. Well, she was a Montez now that the paperwork had been finalised. There had been some issues considering Gabriella wasn't married or had a partner but she had one kick ass lawyer and she had won custody of Amber.

She had never planned to adopt Amber. In fact, considering that her agent had given her a challenge that was unbelievably difficult for her to do, adopting a child had been the very last thing on her mind. It was an honest and genuine adoption. It wasn't a publicity stunt like some reports were claiming. Earlier in the year, Gabriella had visited an orphanage in Wales to read stories to the children. Now that had been a publicity act. Once story time was over, she had had the opportunity to interact with the children and had noticed that Amber was sat alone in the corner with a book.

And that was that.

Stirring her coffee absentmindedly, Gabriella turned her attention back to Kelsi. "The thing is," she began, "I'm not sure if I'm able to do this anymore."

Kelsi frowned. "But, you love writing. You always have. You constantly had a notebook with you throughout school."

The Colombian woman nodded glumly. "Of course I love writing. I blame my grandpa. The problem is what my agent wants me to do."

Kelsi shrugged worriedly. "Well, what is it?"

"My agent wants me to write a romance," Gabriella admitted. She sighed when she saw Kelsi struggling to hold a laugh in. Gabriella shrugged and sat back, lifting her now lukewarm coffee to her lips. "Go ahead."

Kelsi burst out laughing, attracting the attention of a few nearby customers. Gabriella shot them a few apologetic glances but she honestly couldn't blame her friend's reaction. She had reacted in the same way when her agent made the proposal. She had only stopped laughing when she realised that her agent had actually been serious. She couldn't wait for Sharpay's reaction. The thought of _the_ Gabriella Montez being involved with anything to do with love or romance had always been highly amusing for anyone that knew her.

It wasn't that she didn't believe in love, far from it. With Greg and Maria being happily married for thirty years, it was hard not to believe in love. It was simply that she had no interest in it. Her love had never stretched further than books, horses, ballet and now Amber.

Kelsi took a deep breath and proceeded to take a soothing sip of her latte. She took her glasses off and wiped them as she spoke. "You? Write a romance? Why the hell would you do that?"

"To complete my image. That's what my agent reckons it'll do, anyway. With the whole I-can-write-any-genre thing, romance will just complete it. In an ideal world, I'd agree. It's only logical and I'd get a lot more readers. But, I'm realistic and I just find it i-"

"Ah!" Kelsi cut in, holding her hand up as if that physically stopped Gabriella's ability to speak. "I don't want to hear the 'i' word. Imagine what Shar would say if she knew you were just about to say something was 'impossible?' Remember the last time that you said that something was impossible? Now you're a bestselling author."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Kels, think about that. When I said that the prospect of becoming an author was impossible, I actually had the manuscript in my hands in this very coffee shop. At this moment in time, I don't even have an idea for a central character."

Kelsi stared at the other woman. "You're really worried."

Gabriella shrugged. "Not yet. I've got time. Who knows? Maybe a bolt of inspiration will hit me tomorrow."

Kelsi smiled. "That's the spirit."

Gabriella stirred her coffee absentmindedly and looked at her friend. "It's time that Carmen came home."

Gabriella sighed blissfully as she moved smoothly on the back of her black mare, Chica. She had been the first horse that Gabriella had successfully broken in after she returned home from studying English at Cambridge University. Greg had bought Chica as a foal and Gabriella had risen to the challenge of breaking her in despite having to resort to Greg's help every time she'd tried to break horses in the past.

Gabriella had always had three passions. She loved writing because of her grandfather. She loved ballet because of her mother. And she loved horse riding because of her father. Writing was, and always will be, her one true passion. But there was always something magical about riding Chica through the fields that Greg owned. Gabriella would feel the northern breeze in her hair, the sun on her face and feel like the world had stopped spinning. When she rode Chica across Greg's piece of land, it was just her and Chica riding together.

Gabriella slowed Chica's gallop to a gentle trot, wanting to prolong the time she had with Chica. She had no worries. Amber was safe, back at the ranch and spending time with Greg and Maria. Gabriella had been overjoyed when Amber had immediately taken to Maria and Greg. She had known that Greg and Maria would spoil her rotten. She knew they had been waiting for grandchildren ever since she had graduated from Cambridge.

In fact, Amber had been a major hit with all of her friends and their kids, especially Charlie, Sharpay and Zeke's son. The only person left to meet her was Carmen and Gabriella was positive they'd get on like a house on fire. Amber was a sweet, innocent little girl who only ever wanted to please people and Carmen was a lively, bubbly person who always had a knack for knowing how to get on with everybody. Gabriella couldn't remember Carmen arguing with anyone at all. She even had Greg wrapped around her little finger. That annoyed Gabriella. She loved Greg immensely and missed him so much when she had been on her book tours but he annoyed her, too. He was always too protective, even now that she was approaching thirty and with a daughter of her own. It confused her, if she was honest. Wasn't the father supposed to be overprotective of the youngest? In any case, he was overprotective of Gabriella, not Carmen, and no matter what Gabriella tried, he wouldn't let up.

Gabriella took her cowgirl hat off and fanned herself with it. Gabriella had returned to Scarborough, expecting the usual moderately warm summer with the occasional shower of rain. But, she had discovered that Scarborough was suffering with an out of character heat wave, resulting in a hosepipe ban. The last time that the council had declared a hosepipe ban, Gabriella had been just five years old. As a result of the hosepipe ban, the grass was brown, the trees looked pathetic, and all of the horses were irritable. As if to prove her point, Chica huffed through her nose.

"Behave," Gabriella scolded.

She turned back to the spectacular scene before her and swept her gaze across something that could never be replaced by Tiffany jewellery, Gucci flip flops, and Prada handbags. The sun was fairly low in the sky, making shadows much longer and the tops of the hills in the distance turn the most perfect blend of pink and gold. The day wouldn't last much longer and Gabriella was thankful that the setting sun lessened the oppressive heat a little bit. She looked up at the sky and felt her heart rate slow to a gentle thump...thump... The sky was like a paint palette of blues, purples and the tiniest flecks of silver. She felt her body sigh with satisfaction when she realised she could still identify some constellations.

She placed her hat back on her head and patted Chica's neck. "Don't worry, baby, I'm going to stick around this place now." _Especially with the way this romance book is going._

She shook the thoughts and worries of work out of her head and clicked her tongue, making Chica break into a slow trot. The motion of being on the back of a trotting horse brought a great sense of belonging to Gabriella. All of her friends teased her about how she was a horse in a past life. She couldn't exactly disagree. During high school, she spent the majority of her five years trying to find out who she was and she was also trying to fit in with her fellow students. These worries made her spend hours and days in the stables, alone with the horses, and more often than not, she would be curled up in a corner of the stable with a book of Grandpa Montez's.

She figured that, given her agent's latest challenge for her, she'd be spending a lot of her time with the horses. It wasn't like a love story was going to just pop into her head. She knew she'd have to actually work on this book and not just assume it would come to her as she typed away at her laptop.

When Chica was safely in the paddock, Gabriella dismounted her. "What am I going to do, Chica?" she murmured as she took the saddle off the back of the horse. Once the saddle was put back with the others, she went back over to the horse. "I don't suppose you have any ideas?" Gabriella stroked Chica's neck. "No? Oh well. I'll see you tomorrow, girl."

Gabriella expertly climbed over the wooden fence and wandered over to the main house on the ranch. It was the main building that was a home for everybody, not just Greg and Maria. Workers gathered there before their shifts started and after they finished. The white fridge, which was by the back door in the kitchen, was always covered in multicoloured post-its, reminding Greg of stock, staff who were taking leave or new horse riding students.

The outside of the house looked almost comical on the foreground of the muddy, farm-like landscape. The whole of the wall which people saw when they drove up was glass, giving people an expansive view of the inside which had a soft warmth emanating from the dimly lit lamps. The white walls were covered with pictures of Gabriella and Carmen throughout their lives.

Gabriella ran a hand through her raven curls and smiled softly when she spotted Greg knelt on the floor with an elephant mask on his face. God only knew what they were doing. Ever since Gabriella had returned home, Greg and Maria had taken great pride in showing Amber off to other people and they were also spoiling her rotten.

The wooden steps that led to the front door were part of the foundation of Gabriella's childhood. She had spent days and nights on the steps, savouring the beauty of Seamer. During the times she spent on these steps, whether it was with family or friends, it always seemed to her that time seemed to slow down. The wood was worn by weather and the trampling of feet. She stepped into the house that had captured her whole life and inhaled deeply. Coffee and lasagne. The comforting scents made her tense muscles relax gently. She headed towards the opening to the lounge and leant against the doorframe as she watched her father and her daughter interact together. The squeals and giggles of Amber made her heart burst with happiness. She had seen nothing in her whole life that had seemed so beautiful and perfect. It looked like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Gabriella flinched when she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Maria standing there with a quirked eyebrow. She smiled at her mother. "Hey, Mami. How long have they been like that?"

Maria shrugged. "I don't know. An hour maybe. I've been-"

"-cleaning Carmen's room." Gabriella laughed. "Don't look so shocked. I know you."

"Mummy!" Amber yelled.

Gabriella looked over and grinned as she picked her daughter up. She rested her on her hip and kissed her forehead. "Oh, mi ángel," Gabriella murmured. **(A/N: My Angel) **She brushed Amber's blonde locks from her forehead. "Have you been having fun?"

Amber nodded enthusiastically. "We did. Grandma made some brownies and then me and Grandpa were playing together."

"Can I have a little help?" Greg groaned from his place on the living room floor.

Maria sighed and sauntered over to her husband and held her hands out for him. "Greg, what have I said about getting on the floor?" She pulled him up and dusted down his white button up shirt.

Greg frowned as he threw the elephant mask to the side. "It's not fair. She," he pointed accusingly at Amber, "made me do it. Her eyes are evil. They make you do crazy things."

Amber giggled. "Grandpa! You said that I'm sweet."

Greg grinned and took her off Gabriella. He threw her up into the air and caught her easily. "Ah! Of course you're sweet. You're the best granddaughter I could've asked for."

Gabriella smiled at him. She looked over at Maria and noticed that her mother was gesturing to the kitchen with her eyes. "Mum, do you need some help with loading the dishwasher?"

Maria nodded. "I thought you'd never ask."

They wandered into the kitchen and Gabriella leant against the worktop. "What's up?"

Maria regarded her daughter. "How are you feeling?"

Gabriella tilted her head back and breathed deeply. She looked back to Maria. "I feel like I'm home. If there's anywhere in the world that I can write this stupid romance book, its right here."

"Do you have any ideas? Plots? Characters?" Maria asked.

Gabriella shook her head. "No. Not a single one."

Maria touched her daughter's hair. "Don't worry. Sometimes things happen when you don't expect them to."

Before Gabriella could ponder her mother's words, Amber ran in and hugged Gabriella's legs. "Mummy!" she squealed excitedly.

Gabriella crouched down. "Whatever's the matter, mi hija?" she laughed.

"I vant to drink your blood," Greg exclaimed as he walked in, arms outstretched with two pens dangling from his mouth.

Maria raised her eyebrows at Gabriella. "I didn't plan that but there we go."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This chapter was so much fun to write and I think you guys will like it. :) I am on holiday (vacation) for two weeks from this .?docid=18932685rday. But, no worries. You will still get your weekly Wednesday updates (haha, that'll be the official term from now on!) because I have my laptop (my beautiful pink one!) and the internet :)**

**I have uploaded a Troyella video to youtube entitled "Troy and Gabriella Wouldn't Change a thing". It's sort of based on Troy and Gabi's relationship portrayed here. It's to a Camp Rock 2 song. I'd appreciate comments :)**

**Anyway, until next week...**

**Don't own HSM x

* * *

**

Chapter 2

Gabriella threw another screwed up piece of paper into the barn down below. She found that sitting on the top wooden platform of the barn with her notebook of possible plots was actually really refreshing. Luckily, this barn was strictly for hay bales and so nothing was being hurt by her angry paper balls or her frustrated yells. Nothing in her notebook of ideas was remotely interesting, entertaining or original. She was actually running out of pages to rip out. That's how hopeless she was feeling. She ripped another page out and she stared down at it in anger. She screwed it up and threw it down below.

She knew that she had time. But, at some point, her agent would stop waiting. She knew that. She didn't know when that point was but she did know that she was still drawing a blank.

"Why is this so difficult?" she yelled. "Give me a sign. A hint. Anything. Lord, I know I'm not perfect but if you help me now, I swear I will try to be." She lowered her volume. "Anything?"

She rubbed her eyes and sighed. Nothing. Why was it so damn difficult? She reached for her notebook and threw it down angrily into the barn below.

"OW!" A voice complained.

Gabriella peered over the edge to see a tall guy, she estimated six feet, clutching the back of his head. "Hey!" she protested. With a practiced ease, she scurried to the edge of the platform and scaled down the ladder. She clambered over the mountain of hay and stalked towards the guy. She didn't know who he was and she didn't really care that she had just hurt him. It appeared that it's very possible for things to go from bad to worse. "What the hell are you doing here?"

He lifted his head and glared at her. "I could ask you the same thing."

"I asked you first, though," Gabriella snapped.

He inhaled deeply, obviously trying to decide what to do. She took the opportunity to scrutinise him. American accent. Possibly Arizona or California. She couldn't tell. She guessed he'd been in England a while, though. A hint of a Yorkshire accent was there, too, making her want to giggle profusely at the sound of his Yorkshire and American accent blended together. His brown hair was scruffy; she doubted that he actually owned a comb. He had a horrible beard. She mentally shivered. Beards... She shivered again. She _hated_ beards. It was probably something she'd picked up from Maria. Maria hadn't let Greg have a beard since they'd been together. His blue eyes were narrowed, sending her death glares. It didn't bother her. The sight of the glares with the horrible hair and beard, she wanted to laugh even more. The guy was wearing a horribly old fashioned plaid button up shirt and a pair of mucky, creased and torn jeans. Her grandfather used to wear clothes like that.

American/Yorkshire Guy sighed in defeat. "I work here. What's your excuse?"

"I live here," she exclaimed.

He laughed sarcastically. "You can't."

She shrugged and folded her arms. "Who says?"

"Me. I've worked here for three years. I think I'd know if some midget Philipino girl lived on this ranch," he yelled.

She stepped closer to him, poking his chest. "Don't talk like that to me. First of all, I am not Philipino. My dad wouldn't be happy if he heard you say that. I'm Colombian, genius. Second of all, I do live here. And third of all, you won't have seen me before because I haven't been here for three years. My dad never said anything about hiring some grumpy American worker."

Realisation crossed American/Yorkshire Guy's face. "I know you. You're that writer... Greg's oldest daughter... Oh, I know this. You made front page news of Scarborough Evening News the other day."

"Gabriella," she exclaimed in exasperation. She took a deep calming breath. "I'm Gabriella."

"Well, Ella-"

"Gabriella," she corrected, feeling her muscles tense once again.

He raised his eyebrows. "Yeah, Ella, you need to pick this stuff up."

She glared. "I know. Now, listen here, buddy-"

"Troy," he corrected in the same manner she had.

"Now, listen here, _Troy_, I could fire you so mind who you're dealing with," she warned.

He rolled his eyes. "Oh grow up. Greg would never let you fire me. I'm the best assistant manager he's ever had."

She felt the colour drain from her face. "Assi... Assistant manager?" she asked in surprise.

Troy shrugged. "That's me. Now, Princess-"

"I'm not a princess. I'm Gabriella." She spoke through greeted teeth.

"Ella, where's Greg? You know, your daddy?" he asked patronisingly.

Gabriella was about to respond when a car door slammed shut and an excited voice yelled, "Hey!"

Gabriella and Troy turned to see a fairly short woman with long black hair that was braided with beads running towards them. "Carmen!" Troy and Gabriella yelled together. They turned to each other in shock. "Hey!"

"She's coming towards me, I'm her sister," Gabriella protested.

"You haven't been here for three years. At least I was here for the year before she went to Cambridge," he shouted.

"Well, we'll see which one of us she's running towards." They turned to watch Carmen running towards them.

"Hermana!" Carmen yelled excitedly as she launched herself at Gabriella and the sisters hugged each other.

Gabriella smirked at Troy over Carmen's shoulder. She pulled back and touched Carmen's braids. "Carmen, look at your hair. It's so long."

Carmen touched Gabriella's. "Yours is so short."

"I wanted a change," they said together and then laughed.

Gabriella hugged Carmen again. "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you, too," Carmen muttered into her sister's shoulder.

Gabriella pulled back and sighed. "How's Cambridge?"

"Brilliant. I know why you loved it," Carmen murmured. She suddenly turned to Troy and smiled, flinging her arms around him. "I missed you, too, Troy."

Troy smirked at Gabriella over Carmen's shoulder. "I missed you, too, C." He pulled back and surveyed her appearance in a floral sleeveless dress. "You look great."

She smiled appreciatively. "Thanks." She suddenly looked around the barn. "What the hell happened here?"

"Your sister brutally attacked me," Troy exclaimed.

Gabriella quirked an eyebrow. "Wow, you're mature. I brutally attacked you with a notebook. Yeah, tell that to the police and let's see how far you get." She turned to Carmen. "I'm struggling a little bit with this romance book and I threw my notebook down in frustration accidentally onto Troy's head. In my defence, I didn't know he was here." She turned to Troy. "The most annoying person that's ever walked the planet."

"That's it? That was the best insult that the international bestselling author could come up with?" Troy asked with disbelief.

Gabriella pouted. "I'm having a bad day." She paused. "Anyway," she turned back to Carmen, "I have someone I want you to meet."

"I really think you should clean this up," Troy said sternly.

Gabriella breathed deeply and glared. "Stop patronising me. I'll clean it up later but I want Carmen to meet someone." She stared at him curiously.

He shrugged. "Stop staring at me!"

"You can meet her, too, Hollywood," she mumbled.

"Yeah, Ella, I'm not from Hollywood. I'm from Flagstaff in Arizona," he murmured.

She shrugged. "I've never been there. But, in any case, I'm not from Hollywood either. And until you stop annoying me, you'll be called Hollywood. Now come on." She dragged them towards the main building, ignoring Troy's protests. She turned to Troy on the front doorsteps. "Listen," she said softly, "I'm staying a while and I don't care how you treat me. You've already pissed me off but please treat this person with a little more respect if that's possible."

Troy regarded her. "What's so special about this person?"

Gabriella opened the door and gestured for him to look at Amber. "She's my daughter." Gabriella walked into the kitchen and scooped Amber into her embrace. "Mi hija! What have you been up to?" She grabbed a tea towel and wiped Amber's chocolate covered mouth. She turned to Maria who was washing her hands. "What on earth have you been doing to my daughter?"

"We're baking brownies," Amber said proudly, tightening her grip on a horse shaped teddy.

Gabriella kissed Amber's forehead. "Well, Amber, I want you to meet Auntie Carmen."

Carmen stepped forward and immediately took Amber into her arms. "Oh my gosh, you're my niece that I've heard so much about. You're so cute. Have you been good for your mummy?"

Amber nodded cutely. "Yeah. She said that she's working today so we have to spend the day together."

Carmen looked at Gabriella in shock. Gabriella laughed while she ran herself a glass of water. "Hey, you've just come home, I thought you could get to know each other."

"Well, we're going to have an entire fun filled day," Carmen exclaimed excitedly.

"Oh, hi Troy," Maria greeted when she saw him standing in the doorway. She walked over to hug him briefly. "How are things?"

He shrugged, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Oh, you know, so-so."

Maria nodded with understanding. "I guess you've met Gabriella."

Troy turned to Gabriella and smirked. "You mean the not-so-brilliant writer with anger management issues?"

"Hey!" Gabriella protested. "Troy, Amber. Amber, Troy."

Troy's face softened as he turned to the blonde little girl. "Amber... You're beautiful." He smiled at the sight of her toy. "Do you like horses?"

Amber nodded. "Yeah, Mummy let me see Chica and Grandpa let me sit on one yesterday."

Troy glanced at Gabriella. "I see." He turned back to Amber who was resting on Carmen's hip. "And would you, my little gem, want to ride horses like I do?"

Gabriella choked on the water she just drank and Maria had to pat her on the back. "Gabi, are you okay? What's wrong?"

Gabriella breathed deeply and looked over at Troy. "Nothing. Nothing is wrong at all." She slammed her glass down, making a wave of water slop over the side. "Carmen, why don't you take Amber outside? She probably wants to be outside in the sun."

Carmen frowned and glanced between her sister and the guy she thought of as an older brother. "Right. I guess I should. Come on, Amber, why don't we play with a Frisbee?"

As Carmen took Amber outside, Maria brought the tray of brownies out of the oven, setting them on the island counter. Troy inhaled deeply. "Oh, that smells nice."

Gabriella grinned. "Well, Hollywood, you have to try my mum's brownies. They're the best in the world." The glance that Maria shot Troy wasn't unnoticed by Gabriella.

"I know, I've had them," Troy murmured. "Maria usually lets me lick the bowl and spoon but it seems she has a new favourite now," he teased.

Maria rolled her eyes and pointed a spatula at Troy. "Hey! I have a granddaughter and she prioritises over you."

Greg walked into the kitchen and grinned at Troy. They immediately hugged each other like, she imagined at least, a father and son would. She cocked her head to the side as Greg pulled back and greeted Troy, "Hey, son. You okay?"

Troy nodded and gestured towards Gabriella. "She's your daughter?"

Greg smiled and walked over to hug Gabriella tightly. "That's right. She's my baby girl, aren't you, mi hija?" He turned to Troy. "Are there any problems?"

Troy shook his head. "No. No problems at all. It's just that I wasn't expecting her to be so..."

Gabriella stepped forward and crossed her arms. "So what?"

Troy frowned. "So exasperating. She throws a notebook on my head, looks at me like I'm dirt, threatens to fire me and I bet she doesn't give a damn about anything other than her precious books."

"Troy," Greg began.

Troy shook his head. "I don't care. I just work here. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have horses to groom before my students arrive." He smiled at Greg and Maria. "I'll talk to you both later and fill you in."

Gabriella watched him leave and took a step forward. "Excuse me," she murmured absentmindedly.

"Gabi," Greg warned. "Don't."

Gabriella spun around to him. "Why?"

"You don't understand him like we do," Greg explained, glancing at Maria.

"I don't need to or want to understand him, really. I just want to talk to him. Papi, I'm almost thirty. Please. Let me do this. Trust me, from what I've seen, he's not leaving this place. All I'm going to do is talk to him," she pleaded.

Greg turned to Maria. "Honey?" he asked.

Maria finished putting the brownies on a cooling rack and sighed as she wiped her hands with a cloth. She regarded Gabriella. "Well, Troy loves it here so much. Nothing, not even Gabi, will change that. And Gabi's old enough to make her own choices and her own enemies. Just be careful, okay?"

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine and I doubt that Hollywood would just let me yell at him for an hour. He'll yell at me, too."

"Wow. That's comforting for me," Greg muttered. "Go on."

Gabriella turned around and marched towards the main stables that kept the horses that students used. She climbed over the fence and strode towards the large building in front of her. All of the horses but one were inside the building, escaping the oppressive heat. She jogged over and slowed down to a stop when she saw Troy hanging his shirt up on a hook by the door. She tilted her head to the side. From the back, he didn't look half bad. His skin was tanned and his muscles rippled as he moved about. Galloping horses were tattooed across his back and, although she didn't like much about him, she admired that. The tattoo covered two well-defined eagle wings and for one brief moment, Gabriella wondered what it would be like to touch them before she suddenly quashed the idea.

"Hollywood," she called.

Troy turned around and groaned to himself. "Really? Look, I'm working." He turned back to the stables and began inspecting the horseshoes of one of the horses.

"We need to talk," she proclaimed and strode over to pick up a grooming brush from one of the shelves. She marched over to the horse Troy was working on and climbed onto a bale of hay so that she was tall enough to groom the horse properly. "At least let me help."

"Why?" he murmured quietly.

"Look, Hollywood, I told you I'm staying at least until this romance book is published and I have to go on another book tour. And until that happens, I'd like to keep my family happy," Gabriella explained.

"I'm not from Hollywood," he mumbled through his gritted teeth. Once all of the horseshoes were checked, he walked around to her side and looked up at her. "Okay, so... Where do I come into this?"

Gabriella stayed silent until she had finished brushing the horse. She looked down on him and tilted her head to the side. "Does that beard take away IQ points?"

Troy inhaled sharply. "If you lived my life, you wouldn't care what you look like."

Gabriella crouched on the hay bale so that she could look him in the eyes. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

Troy shrugged. "You're the great writer, can't you interpret it?" He turned around to start grooming the other horses.

Gabriella sat down on the bale of hay with her legs dangling over the edge. She stayed quiet for a longest time until Troy had finished grooming the horses. He put all of the things away and then stood in front of her. She looked up at him. "I'm not a materialist," she said strongly.

He shrugged. "It doesn't bother me at all."

Gabriella paused and let her eyes wander over his body. "Do you always work without a shirt?"

"Unless I'm in front of my students," he murmured. "So, Annoying Girl, are you leaving now?"

She shrugged. "Would that make you happy?"

"Yes."

"Then no." She got to her feet and wiped her hands on her shorts. "Hollywood, this is my territory, okay? And-"

"You're staying a while. I get it," Troy said in a bored tone.

Gabriella shook her head. "I don't know why I bother," she murmured and began walking past him.

Troy jogged after her. "So that's it? Are you going to leave me alone now?"

Gabriella looked up at him. "No. I won't. Because my dad wants us to get along. I know he does."

"Did he say it in so many words?" Troy challenged.

Gabriella glared. "Shut up. He's my Papi and I know him. He annoys me to hell and back, especially when I'm breaking horses in, but he's also my friend. I saw the look he gave me and let me tell you, he wants me and you to get along. I don't want to pretend, okay? I'm not going to lie to him." She poked him in the chest. "So, I'm going to keep coming back until we do get along. And, from what I've seen, you're not going to leave."

Troy stared down at her. "Wow. You really are annoying. But, listen here, Greg means a lot to me, okay? He's helped me more than you know and if that makes him happy, keep coming back. Believe me, I have a lot more insults left in me."

She folded her arms. "I have a younger sister. Believe me, you have no idea what you've let yourself in for."

Troy stepped closer to her so that their noses were almost touching. "I just let myself in for insulting the most infuriating woman in the world."

The sound of a throat clearing made them both step away from each other. "Am I interrupting something?" Mrs Jones, a tall blonde woman asked. Gabriella saw twelve year old Sophie stood by her mother's side.

Troy hurriedly reached for his shirt and shrugged it on. "Oh, no. Sorry, Mrs Jones. I lost track of time. I'm sorry."

Mrs Jones laughed heartily. "Oh, Troy. You've got nothing to apologise for. It's fine. I'm just here to drop Sophie off. Gabriella, you're back."

Gabriella raised her hand in a small wave and smiled. "Yeah, I am."

"I read that you adopted a daughter," she commented.

"Yeah, I did. I couldn't help it. I love her so much," she whispered.

Mrs Jones smiled. "Well, congratulations. Are you helping Troy now?"

"No!" Troy said hurriedly. "I mean, no she's not. She's got a book to write. You were just leaving, right Ella?"

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "It's Gabriella," she muttered. She plastered a fake smile on her face for Mrs Jones and Sophie and nodded. "Yeah, I was." She turned to Troy. "Uh, I guess I'll see you later, Hollywood."

"You will, Ella." He smirked at her glare.


	3. AN

**A/N: Sorry for the earlier confusion...  
**

**Hey guys, well, this is just a quick update:**

**The other night, I was talking to one of my best friends from here and she told me that I have a fanclub on one of Vanessa's forums. So, I was like...awesome. I cried happy tears hehe.**

**So, it inspired me to make my own website for you guys to get updates from me, learn what/who inspires me, if i have writer's block, what I enjoy etc etc. It's www (dot) wildcatgirl414 (dot) webs (dot) com**

**I'm thinking about uploading a video blog as a weekly update to go along with my Weekly Wednesday Updates. What would you guys think to that? Also, what about Q&A posts? You guys can message/e-mail me questions and I post a video blog/regular blog/extra webpage answering the questions?**

**Ummmm...This site also links to my fanfiction, youtube and twitter accounts. It also gives a fan-friendly e-mail under 'contact' and the url for my facebook profile where you are free to message me :) (but please say that you're from fanfiction hehe)**

**That's kind of it, tbh. I'm working on chapter 8 atm so, you'll hear from me again on Wednesday :)  
**


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Well, this is your Weekly Wednesday Update. Don't forget to check out my website at www (dot) wildcatgirl414 (dot) webs (dot) com

* * *

**

Chapter 3

Gabriella sat next to Kelsi on a wooden bench in the garden of The Londesborough, the nicest restaurant within walking distance of Gabriella's home. She set her bag on the floor and laughed along with Kelsi when Sharpay flicked Jason's ear to stop him from sitting next to Kelsi. Jason, a dark haired, pale skinned man with the tendency to be a bit 'dim', scowled at her and sat opposite the three women.

"Damn you, Evans. If you didn't own this joint, offering free drinks, I'd be out of here." Jason motioned over his shoulder with his thumb. "I'd like to sit next to my wife."

Zeke, who was stood, keeping a watchful eye on Amber and Charlie at the play area laughed. "Think about it, Pay, now they'll just be making googly eyes at each other like they were all through sixth form and uni."

Sharpay frowned and stood up with her glass of white wine and pushed Jason off of the bench. "Go away."

Jason released a growl and moved his pint of lager to the newly-vacated space next to Kelsi. "One day you'll surprise us all and be nice to me."

Sharpay threw her head back and released a hearty laugh. "Good one, Cross." She looked up at Zeke. "Come on, honey. Sit down."

Zeke took one final glance at the two children playing a few yards away and finally sat with his friends. He wrapped an arm around Sharpay and kissed her temple. "Where are Ryan, Tay and Chad?"

"Ry text me and said his dance class was running late," Sharpay explained, referring to her little brother. Everyone nodded with understanding. Ryan owned his own dance studio and ran probably the most successful dance school in Scarborough.

"What about Carmen?" Jason asked, more to Gabriella than anybody else.

Gabriella looked at her friends. "With Mum and Dad, I think. Either that or she's gone riding. She'll be here soon, no doubt."

Sharpay grinned. "Yay. Now we'll have the old gang back together."

Gabriella sipped her wine. "Yeah. I miss you guys when I'm gone."

Kelsi wrapped an arm around her friend. "We miss you, too."

Sharpay nodded. "It's true. I mean, Zeke drives us crazy."

Zeke frowned. "Hey, I miss her. That's not a crime. She's my little sister."

Gabriella and Zeke spread their fingers and put their palms together. "I miss you, too, bro."

"Hey, sorry we're late," a voice rang out and an African American couple sat down at the table.

Gabriella smiled. "Don't worry, Chad, we've only just got here. Amber and Charlie are over at the play area."

Taylor, Chad's wife, turned around and smiled broadly. She turned back to Gabriella. "She's settled in well."

Gabriella laughed. "Hey, my parents are spoiling her rotten. She'd be crazy not to settle in."

Taylor smiled and sipped her wine. "That's true."

"Troy!" Amber's voice rang out and Gabriella saw her jump from the swings and run towards where the tables were.

Gabriella frowned and watched her run straight into the arms of a tall, familiar guy with a sheepdog sitting respectfully at his feet. "Oh, god," she mumbled as she stood up and sauntered over there. By the time she got there, Charlie had got there, too, and she smiled down at him. She turned back to Troy as he put Amber on the ground. "Hollywood," she said coldly.

"Montez," he said just as harshly.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

He frowned. "I am not having this conversation with you all over again." He gestured to the table by him where there was a glass of coke. "I came to have a quiet drink with my dog but I guess that's out of the window now."

Amber suddenly giggled. "Hey, Troy, what's your dog called?"

Troy smiled when he looked down to find his dog on her back, allowing Amber and Charlie to tickle her tummy. "She's called Rain."

"Wow," Charlie murmured. "Mummy, come here. Look at this doggy."

Sharpay frowned and stood up. She walked over to Gabriella and smiled at Charlie. "Good boy. She's really beautiful." She looked to Gabriella. "Who's this, Gabi?"

"An annoying, conceited, arrogant jerk who goes by the name of Trey," she explained with a roll of her eyes.

"It's Troy," he murmured to Sharpay. He held out his hand for her.

Sharpay shook it and nodded in acknowledgement. "I'm Sharpay. Gabi's best friend. How do you two know each other?"

Gabriella glared at him. "He's my dad's assistant manager."

Troy rolled his eyes. "Oh quit whining."

"Troy!" They all turned to see Carmen running towards them. Gabriella spotted Ryan heading towards the table with two drinks in hand.

Carmen wrapped her arms around Troy. "Hey, are you joining us tonight?"

"No, of course not," Gabriella exclaimed.

Troy smirked and tilted his head to side. "Sharpay, would you mind if I joined you?"

Sharpay laughed. "I don't think Charlie would forgive me if you didn't."

"Sharpay!" Gabriella exclaimed in shock.

Sharpay shrugged and crouched down to scratch Rain's ears. "Gabi, I think it's a good idea." She rose to her full height. "Carmen is obviously great friends with him and I don't see why not."

Gabriella turned to Carmen. "Carmen..."

Carmen frowned. "Troy's my friend. Please?"

"Fine," Gabriella sighed. "Besides, it gives you a chance to use all of those insults on me, right?"

Troy grinned. "It's like you can read my mind."

Gabriella rolled her eyes and sat back down on the bench. Everyone took their respective seats and Troy sat down next to Gabriella. She held back a groan. "Why do you want to torture me?"

Troy shook his head. "I don't want to torture you. That wouldn't be fun. I just want to annoy you."

Gabriella wasn't willing to give him the satisfaction. "We'll see."

"Hey, Gabi, how far have you got with that book?" Taylor asked.

Gabriella sighed. "Not very." She breathed out deeply. She wasn't willing to talk about how much she was beginning to doubt her talent in front of Troy. She took a sip of her wine. "What?" she snapped when everyone was staring at her.

Jason was the first to break the awkward silence. "So, guys, when do you want to meet up for a two on two?"

Gabriella slid into silence, allowing Jason to talk to Zeke, Chad and Ryan about when they would meet up for a scrimmage. She snuck a glance at Troy and found him staring back. He quirked an eyebrow and she immediately turned back to sipping her wine. She didn't know if it was the effects that the wine was having on her, her decreasing hopes of this romance book or if it was because she had found Troy at her best friend's restaurant, but she felt rather melancholy. And that wasn't acceptable to her. She liked to be happy, she wanted to show her friends that she appreciated them. But she couldn't. All she could do was rest her chin in her left palm and swirl her wine around her glass.

She could feel Troy's curious gaze on her but wasn't willing to look at him. She knew that if she looked at him, her hatred for him would mix with her melancholy and, although she had no accurate predictions, she knew it wouldn't be pretty. She honestly wanted to get along with Troy for Greg's sake but whenever she saw him, she felt something unspeakably powerful in the pit of her stomach and it was like verbal diarrhoea. She saw the un-groomed hair, the beard and the God-awful fashion sense and insults just came out without warning. And not to mention how Troy...

She sat up a little straighter, not too much for anybody to notice other than Troy who kept on staring at her like she was a fish in an aquarium. _Troy..._ That had a certain ring to it. It sounded like the name of some heartbreaker guy. She snuck a glance of Troy. Well, not in Hollywood's case.

"Hollywood, can you pass me my bag, please?" she asked softly.

Troy regarded her for a long moment when she thought he was going to refuse. Then, he bent down, made a quick fuss of Rain, and brought Gabriella's denim bag up. He more or less threw it at her and glared. "What's wrong?" he asked, boredom lacing his voice.

She rolled her eyes and began rummaging through her bag. "Like you remotely care."

"You see, that's your problem," he began and the silence that fell over the table wasn't unnoticed by either of them. Troy shrugged. "Can we help you guys?"

They all turned back to their previous conversations but left long enough pauses to catch glimpses of the conversation between Troy and Gabriella.

Gabriella brought out a battered notebook with odd piece of paper crammed in, stickers and graffiti on the front cover which gave it a personal element and it was so old that the metal spiral which had originally held the papers together had been replaced by garden string. She set it on the table and began rummaging again for a pen which she produced proudly and set it neatly next to her notebook. She ignored the groans which each of her friends gave. She set her bag back on the floor and turned to Troy. "And what is my problem?"

He shrugged. "You make snap judgements," he said simply.

She frowned and picked her pen up. "No I don't."

"You made a snap judgement, assuming I don't care about you," he pointed out.

"No," she said slowly, "I made a snap judgement, assuming that you wouldn't want to know."

He shrugged. "You still made a snap judgement."

"Well, you hate me so much, I figured that you wouldn't give a damn," she mumbled. She opened the notebook, flicking through odds and ends. Yesterday's to-do list, a few poems she'd written during her time of procrastination and a few photos glued into the first few pages, obviously meant to be there for inspiration.

He was silent for a minute. "I am trying to get along with you," he admitted lowly.

She nodded. "I guessed as much. And for the record, I'm trying as well but you are so aggravating." She found a blank page and at the top , she drew out _Characters_ in her smooth, curvaceous handwriting. Then beneath she wrote _Troy_.

"Hey. Why are you writing my name?" Troy demanded.

She sighed softly. "Because as much as your presence is nauseating for me, I like your name."

"If you like my name so much, why won't you call me Troy?" he asked quietly.

"Because it annoys you." She grinned at him.

"Is this the notebook you hit me on the head with?"

"Don't you mean brutally attacked?" she shot back.

Troy rolled his eyes and took a mouthful of his coke. "Touché," he muttered in defeat. "So, what's this notebook? Full of potions and spells?"

She downed the last of her wine and inhaled deeply. "No," she snapped.

"Well, what is it?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Are you interested? I thought you said that I wasn't that good of a writer?"

"You're good, I just wish you didn't have such a big ego," he muttered.

Gabriella slammed her book shut and stood up so quickly that she almost fell backwards. She gripped Troy's shoulder to steady herself and then she picked up her notebook and pen. A lone photograph fell out and landed on the seat that Gabriella had been occupying. Everyone had gone silent again. Before Gabriella could pick the photo up, Troy had it in his fingers. "Give it back," she cried, already knowing which picture it was.

Troy looked down on the picture, feeling his voice escape him. A young Colombian man wearing a chequered button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up and some tattered work trousers was posing for the camera with his muscles flexed. The picture was in black and white and the edges were torn and frayed. "Is this Greg?" he asked.

She shook her head numbly, not having the strength to voice the answer. She mutely held her hand out and waited until he gave the picture back to her. She slid the picture back into her notebook and then dropped it into her bag. She slung it onto her shoulder and looked at her friends. "I'm sorry. I have to go. Amber," she called. Once Amber was by her side, she scooped her up and stalked away.

* * *

How humiliating. She hadn't meant to completely freak out in front of Troy. Now she was positive that Troy considered her a danger to society and that she should be wearing a strait jacket. The only person she had spoken to since the previous night was Amber, reassuring her that she was fine. And she was. If Gabriella Montez was ever described using only one adjective, she was fine. She was always fine. She was fine when her best friend in the world passed away, she was fine when she studied at Cambridge, and she was fine during her book tours.

Unfortunately, she wasn't that convinced this time around.

She wasn't sure why. She felt exposed and vulnerable. And she shouldn't feel that way. She was successful, she was rich, she had the most gorgeous daughter in the world...but now she doubted her talent as a writer.

As she commanded Chica to make the jumps, she saw Carmen watching her. Usually, Chica and Carmen calmed her down. But not today.

* * *

"Hey, C," Troy greeted as he approached Carmen. He squeezed her shoulders in greeting. He looked out to the paddock and... There was a woman riding so beautifully that Troy struggled to imagine her without a horse. A cowgirl hat was placed on her head, so he struggled to identify her. A tight tank top hugged her torso and he could see the strings of a bikini top. She was also wearing some denim shorts and some cowboy boots. He couldn't blame her for her choice of attire. It seemed that the temperature was increasing with each day.

"Who's that?" he whispered.

Carmen smirked and turned back to see the rider and horse jump smoothly together. "The best rider you will ever meet."

"Hey!" Troy protested. "I thought you told your Cambridge friends that I was the best rider."

She shook her head and turned to him. "No." She drew out the syllable. "I told them I knew the best rider ever. I never said it was you."

He rolled his eyes and ruffled her braided hair. "It's a good job I love you, isn't it?"

She nodded. "I suppose it is." She looked down at her feet for a while. "Troy, I love you so much. You're like a brother to me and nothing will change that." She turned to him and sighed. "Not even Gabi."

He shook his head. "Please don't talk about her," he murmured.

"She's my sister, I'm just trying to explain that-"

"She's a psycho?" Troy asked.

Carmen brought her hand back and a second later, it collided with his cheek, causing a loud crack to ring in the air. "How dare you?" she growled before she ran back towards the main house.

Troy held his hand to his cheek and stared after her. After a moment, he turned back to the paddock where the girl had been riding just in time for her to dismount. She took her hat off and Troy groaned. "Typical." He looked to the sky. "Was I really that horrible in a past life?"

Gabriella walked over to the fence. "What was that about?"

Troy shrugged half-heartedly. "I called you a psycho and Carmen slapped me."

Gabriella quirked an eyebrow. "My younger sister slapped you? Wow." Her smile slipped. "Hollywood, you don't understand about last night."

He lifted her eyes to hers. "Try me," he mumbled.

She shrugged. "It wasn't your fault and maybe I am a psycho. My friends have been telling me that since I was eleven. I would sit there at lunch and talk myself through ideas for stories. So, maybe you're right. All I know is that last night was a mistake. It wasn't your fault. It was mine."

Troy frowned. "You didn't explain anything," he exclaimed. "If anything, all you did was agree with me when I said you're a psycho."

She nodded. "I know," she whispered. "But it's not something I can talk about with someone who hates me."


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: Well, it's your Weekly Wednesday Update! I'm up to chapter 12 now. So we're well ahead of schedule!

* * *

**

Chapter 4

Gabriella had calmed down. Troy had calmed down. Carmen had calmed down. They had all fallen into a comfortable routine with each other and the best part for Gabriella was that she hadn't had a lengthy or embarrassing conversation with Troy since that fateful night.

Gabriella tapped Amber's nose and squirted a dollop of ketchup onto Amber's hotdog. "Here you go, mi hija."

Amber grinned at Gabriella. "Thanks, Mummy."

"Where's my hotdog?" Carmen asked. She was sprawled on a sun lounger, sunglasses covering her eyes and a hand outstretched to Gabriella.

Gabriella rolled up a nearby magazine and swatted Carmen's head. "Get your own hotdog."

Carmen sat up, pushed her sunglasses onto her head and twisted to face Gabriella. She suddenly grinned. "I hate you, Hermana."

"You know it," Gabriella exclaimed and grinned back. Gabriella looked over to where Greg was stood, spatula in hand, by the barbeque. "How are you doing, Papi?"

Greg smiled over at her. "Ah, don't you worry about me, Gabi."

"Enjoying the caveman experience? You know, fire...meat!" she called jokingly.

Greg, who always demanded to be the one who did the barbeque, laughed sarcastically. "How funny. I don't know why you're a writer with such an awesome sense of humour."

Gabriella and Carmen glanced at each other and spoke simultaneously. "Dad, don't say awesome."

"Oh, hi Troy," Maria called, waving to someone behind Gabriella.

Gabriella spun around and inhaled sharply. "Hollywood," she acknowledged.

Troy nodded at her as he walked closer. "Ella." He began to unbutton his shirt when he heard the clearing of a throat. He looked over at Gabriella who was staring at him sternly, arms folded and she was tapping her foot. "Can I help you?"

She frowned and shrugged. "So you put your shirt on for your students but not my three year old daughter? Speaking of students, don't you have students to teach?"

"No. I just finished my shift. I just came here to tell Greg that I'm off. I'm going. Vamoose," he exclaimed.

She quirked an eyebrow. "Vamoose? You have got to be kidding me." She wasn't sure why but the air between them was different. Quieter somehow. It was like Gabriella's episode at Sharpay's restaurant had let Troy see that she was actually human and not an iceberg. It was obvious they still annoyed each other but things were definitely different.

"Oh, Troy, you don't have to go," Maria exclaimed. "There's plenty of food. Gabi, get Troy a burger."

Gabriella reluctantly threw a burger in a bun and held it out to him. "Here you go."

"Thanks," he mumbled. He sat down in the seat next to Amber and he smiled at her. "Hey, my little gem. How have you been?" He took a bite out of the burger.

Amber grinned toothily, with ketchup smears around her mouth. "I'm good, Troy. Have you been working with the horses?"

Troy smiled and nodded. "Yes. One day, I'm going to show you how everything works. You'll love it. You'll be a great horse rider someday." He glanced at Gabriella. "Like your mother."

She sat down next to him and reached for her glass of water. "Thanks, I guess."

Troy shook his head as he finished off his burger and wiped his hands on his jeans. "You're so ungrateful."

"Me?" She laughed. "Me? I'm ungrateful. I'm the one who donates half of her earnings to Help for Heroes, orphanages across the country, Asthma UK, Help for Haiti...Need I go on? I know that I'm lucky, okay? I don't take it for granted."

He nodded. "I wasn't talking about material possessions. I meant that you're not grateful when I'm actually making an effort to be nice to you."

Gabriella folded her arms crossly. "You're so arrogant! Making a futile comment about me is not trying to be nice."

"It's more than you're doing. You bite my head off whenever you see me. You don't even have the decency to call me by name. You're just upset that what I've been saying all along is true. You're not the best writer ever. You're average," Troy growled at her.

Gabriella sighed. "I may be average, but at least I'm not boring like you."

"Ella," he said in a patronising tone, "you're just bitter."

"You're crazy, if you think I'm bitter," she laughed.

"Well, you are clumsy. The other night at The Londesborough, you almost fell a million times when you ran away," he mumbled.

Amber sipped her glass of orange squash. "Mummy, what are you and Troy doing?"

Maria shared a glance with Carmen. "They're having a creative discussion and they're going to continue it while they go to the kitchen and get some more bread buns."

Gabriella groaned. "Can't Carmen go? She's the youngest."

Troy stood up and shook his head in dismay. "It's a shame that L doesn't come after C. I could've called you lazy."

Gabriella stared in disbelief. "Fine. I'll go. Happy?"

"Don't do me any favours. It's Maria who asked you to do it," he pointed out.

Gabriella stood up and narrowed her eyes, scrutinising him. "Drab," she murmured. She smiled innocently and curled her shoulder length locks behind her ear. "Come on, Hollywood, we need those bread rolls." She spun on her heel and strutted, well to be fair it was more of a stumble even though she was wearing flip flops, towards the main house.

Troy stared in disbelief before he stalked after her. "Drab?" he called after her. "Well, at least I'm not difficult!"

Once the kitchen door had been shut, Carmen and Maria burst out laughing. Carmen settled back in her sun lounger and put her sunglasses back in place. "I don't know why we have satellite TV when we've got them."

Maria chuckled. "Oh, dear. No wonder she's struggling with this romance novel malarkey. She's oblivious."

"Grandma, what does olivious mean?" Amber asked, sipping her juice.

"Oblivious," Greg piped up, "means that your mummy can't see what's right in front of her. And that's a good thing."

"It is?" Amber asked in confusion.

Carmen rolled her eyes beneath her shades. "Grandpa thinks he's being protective but really, he's just being a grumpy guts again."

"Hey, watch your mouth, young lady," Greg warned.

Maria sighed. "Oh, honey, calm down. You know Troy."

Greg brought over a plate of steaks. "Yeah, but Gabi doesn't. I'm not sure how much either of them can cope with."

As he made his way back over to the barbeque, Gabriella and Troy sauntered over, a bag of bread buns in hand. "Here you are, Mami." She sat down in her seat and Troy took his. Gabriella slipped her shoes off and brought her feet up to rest in his lap. She took a sip of her water. "What letter were we up to?"

"M," Troy muttered in his American/Yorkshire accent.

Gabriella thought about it for a moment. "You are malicious," she declared.

Troy inhaled deeply and reached for a kebab. "You're materialistic."

"I cannot believe you're playing this game," Carmen said in a bored tone.

Gabriella shrugged. "We're only telling the truth," she explained. "For example, Hollywood is nasty."

"And Ella is nutty," Troy exclaimed with an innocent smile.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "I know, I know. I'm insane. It's better than being an introvert," she muttered but as soon as she said it, she clamped a hand over her mouth. Carmen, Maria and Greg all looked at her, shocked that she would refer to a point in time which nobody ever talked about; it was like the dreadful events had been erased from all of their minds...until now.

Tears brimmed at the corners of Gabriella's eyes and she inhaled deeply, using all of her strength to will them not to fall. Saying that out loud had caused an explosion of memories in her head and it was just too much... Why the hell had she just said that? It was Troy's fault. He was the one making her feel vulnerable.

She swung her feet from his lap and slipped her shoes on. She stood up and looked down at Troy. "I have to go."

Troy stood up with her and frowned. "Why? What did I do now?"

"Nothing. You did nothing. But, I just need to go someplace else. You don't understand," she whispered.

"I can try," Troy offered. "Don't freak out on me again."

She shrugged. "I'm trying not to. And why the heck would I tell you anything when I know that you can't stand the sight of me. Well, I'll make this real easy for you. I'll just...leave, okay?"

"I never said-" Troy began.

"I don't care," she cried. As hard as she tried, she couldn't stop the tears from trickling over her cheeks. "Don't worry, you won't have to cope with the annoying average writer anymore." She shook her head and turned around, running towards her house.

Troy frowned and turned to the rest of the Montez family. "What just happened?"

Greg sighed. "Troy, you're one of the best employees we've had here. I think we can all agree on that." Maria and Carmen nodded in agreement. "And we know things are hard on you but Gabi needs reassurance. Whatever's going on between you two needs to be more obvious to her."

"Yeah, but what happened? One minute we were going through the alphabet with insults, the next she's gone crazy...again," he muttered.

"Don't make me slap you again," Carmen warned.

Troy held his hands up defensively. "I'm sorry," he said.

Maria shrugged. "Why are you apologising to us?"

Troy groaned. "Fine," he muttered. "I'll apologise."

"Only if you mean it," Carmen warned. "I was always told off when I apologised and didn't mean it."

Troy nodded. "I know. Look, I don't want her to kill me so I'll leave it a few days." He ran a hand through his hair. "Guys, I don't want her to hate me. Why would I? And I'll try to make things better. I promise you."

* * *

Gabriella stared up at the roof of the barn. In just a tank top and a pair of shorts, she could feel the harshness of the wood and hay beneath her skin. It wasn't fair. The heat was too much. Not only that, she was still all heated up about the incident at the barbeque. It'd been a couple of days since then and Gabriella had been sure to not talk to Troy at all. If he walked up, she made a quick, and often untrue, excuse and fled the scene.

Unable to stand the heat anymore, Gabriella sat up and pulled her tank top over her head. She threw it into the chasm below. She took a moment to relish in the feeling of the heat against her bare skin. The only thing covering her torso now was a white bikini top.

Then she heard it.

"Ella?" Troy called.

_Well hell_.

"Go away," Gabriella mumbled. Her head appeared over the side of the ledge where she had thrown her notebook and tank top from. "What do you want?"

Troy looked around and finally spied the ladder leading up to the ledge. He began climbing. "I came to apologise. And why do you keep throwing things at me?"

Gabriella rolled her eyes and sat cross-legged. "You shouldn't keep walking in here when I'm trying to be by myself."

Troy sat opposite her and shrugged his button up shirt off. He quirked an eyebrow. "You ought to be careful. I could have you done for abuse."

A smile flitted across her face but it disappeared so quickly that Troy began doubting it had been there at all. "Then you'd lose."

Troy frowned. "I'd lose what?"

"The court case. You don't know my lawyer. How do you think I managed to adopt Amber without being married or offering a paternal figure?" Gabriella asked.

Troy chuckled. "That's true." He paused and scratched at his beard.

Gabriella narrowed her eyes. She hadn't always been socially competent but she could read people remarkably well. "You're nervous. Why?" Her eyes widened in horror. "You're not going to ask me out, right?"

Troy stopped scratching his beard and laughed. "No way. Why would you think that?"

"A boyfriend I had during sixth form scratched his chin before he asked me out so I figured... Never mind. So what has your panties in a twist?" Gabriella asked.

Troy's face fell. "Panties? I wear boxers."

She shrugged. "I'm never going to see them so it doesn't matter. Why are you nervous?"

Troy took a deep breath. "Ella, I don't know what I did. Hell, if your reaction wasn't so serious I'd probably be pleased I'd pissed you off so much, but I just want to know what I did."

Gabriella sighed. "It wasn't you and I never said it was. I just remembered some stuff I really wish I didn't," she whispered.

Troy frowned. After a moment, he spoke. "What you said about me not wanting you around..."

"Do you want me around? I mean, everyone thinks we can't stand each other. I just figured that..." She trailed off, unable to meet his eyes.

Troy breathed deeply. "I find your presence actually really nice. I haven't been able to argue with people in years and you reminded me that I am still human. What about you?"

"The same thing practically. I mean, except for mean reviews by critics who live to piss people off, I've just spent three years surrounded by people saying 'Oh my gosh, I love your book' and I love my fans to bits but it gets a bit boring and when you spend three years sleeping in hotel rooms, you just end up like a robot, you know?" Gabriella asked. She reached up to scratch her shoulder, suddenly realising she was much more exposed to Troy than ever before. "Do you want me to put my top back on? I was too hot."

Troy shook his head. "It's fine. I kind of know what you mean. Like, if people treat you the same way over and over again with no variety, you forget how good it feels to be treated differently."

Suddenly realising they were actually (God forbid) _tolerating_ each other, Gabriella hurried to get back on track. "So, in any case, Hollywood, you have nothing to apologise for. And I can assure you that I will still be around here, ready for a good argument."

Troy, understanding what she was trying to achieve, grinned at her. "I'd expect nothing less. You see, Ella, contrary to what people think, the press or your family, I consider this getting along. Why be boring and like each other all of the time? It's so predictable."

"And who wants to be predictable with a bearded American who doesn't have a clear accent?" Gabriella shot back.

Troy frowned. "You can talk Miss I'm-proud-to-be-Yorkshire-but-I-still-speak-Spanish."

"There's nothing wrong with being proud of your heritage. I just can't remember El Salvador that well so I class this place at my hometown," she explained.

"You see," Troy began, "I still consider Flagstaff my hometown."

Gabriella shrugged. "Each to their own."

There was a short silence before Troy spoke again. "What was the deal with the picture at the restaurant?"

Gabriella looked him squarely in his eyes. "Huh. Your eyes are blue."

"And you're exasperating. Now that we've passed the obvious, can you answer the question?" Troy asked.

"I hadn't noticed before," she admitted. She was quiet for a while and lifted a hand to finger the silver locket that hung around her neck. It was just then that Troy noticed it. It was in the shape of a book, of course, with a flower engraved on the front.

"You don't have to tell me," Troy mumbled. "Why would you? You hate me."

Gabriella dropped her hand from her necklace. "That's the thing, Troy," she began as she wrung her hands, "I don't hate you. I don't particularly like you but..."

"Where are you going with this?"

"My point is that I need to think about it, okay? I know nothing about you and I need to think about where I stand. So...just leave me alone." She lay down and rolled away from him, suddenly feeling the bitterness within her stomach once again.

Troy lay down next to her, facing her back. "I won't leave you alone. Not like this."

"Then you'll be here for a long time," she snapped.

* * *

She was listening to her iPod and he didn't know what she was listening to at all. He hadn't a clue. That meant he couldn't judge her music taste. But that didn't matter. What mattered was that she was asleep. She had been for about ten minutes now. And he was keeping his word. He wasn't leaving her. He didn't really understand what had happened between them but he knew that he wasn't willing to just leave her.

He sighed, staring at the ceiling of the barn. What was it that she said at the barbeque? _It's better than being an introvert._ So...she had been an introvert. But it was obviously the reason why she had been an introvert that had caused her freak out.

All of the insults he had given her, he could tell by the sparkle in her eyes that they hadn't hurt her. It was like having a water fight with your best friend. You could relieve pent up stress and nobody got hurt. They were being honest with each other. Calling him boring was nothing except honest. And with the recent years' events, that was refreshing. Not many people, even doctors, were willing to be honest with him.

That was the most frustrating part about his relationship with Gabriella. She frustrated him so much but he liked that. He wanted that. People had been so nice (sometimes too nice) over these past years that he'd completely forgotten how it felt to have an argument with someone just for the hell of it. Troy and Gabriella hadn't actually found a reason for their constant bickering except that Troy had caught her on a bad day. But Troy liked it and Gabriella liked it, too.

Gabriella mumbled something incoherent and shuffled closer to him. He rolled onto his side so that he was staring at her back. He couldn't deny it. She was beautiful. But she was also breaking. Something was wrong and he knew that no matter how hard she tried to hide it from the world, her friends and her family, she couldn't hide it from him.

She stirred in her sleep and groggily pulled her earphones from her ears. "You're still here, aren't you?" she mumbled sleepily.

Troy reached out tentatively and pulled her hair back over her shoulder. "Yeah," he whispered. "I never left."

She rolled over to him and squinted at him through tired eyes. "Why?"

Troy paused. Exactly why had he stayed with her? Because he was sorry? That seemed selfish somehow, like he was only there to give her an apology. Because he wanted to know why she had been an introvert? That was bordering on stalking. He honestly didn't know. But, to save him from complete humiliation...

"I stayed because I know that feeling. That feeling when you lose your entire world and you start doubting the purpose of life and you feel lost and lonely because you can't imagine that anybody else could possibly feel that way. Right?" he asked more as an afterthought.

"I said I can't talk about this with someone who hates me," she whispered.

Troy shrugged. "I don't hate you."

Gabriella frowned. Something in his voice made the honesty very clear and before she could stop herself, she was already explaining. "I haven't felt this way since I was thirteen. I tried and tried to explain it to my friends and I know they tried to understand but they just couldn't. Zeke came the closest to understanding. When he was eight, his little sister was born but she was premature and she stopped breathing at one point. Luckily, they managed to resuscitate her and she's alive and well now. But, he said that it was the scariest two minutes of his life." Tears gathered in her eyes. "But, he got her back and as selfish as it sounds, that's not fair."

Troy frowned and scratched at his beard. "May I ask..." He trailed off but breathed a sigh of relief when Gabriella nodded slightly. "What happened to you?"

A tear trickled over her cheek like a raindrop rolling down a window. "Just now? You. You happened. I've been fine since I was thirteen. But you just waltzed into my life and whenever I'm around you, it floods back because I don't have the strength to block it out."

Troy sat up and turned to face her as she sat up, too. "What happened when you were thirteen?"

She took a deep breath and before she could think it through, she began explaining exactly what had happened. She fiddled with her iPod, even though her earphones weren't in. "It actually happened when I was eleven. Perhaps a couple of months after I started secondary school. Not long before Christmas. The worst Christmas of my entire life. Carmen was just one." She took a deep breath. "My grandfather and grandmother had moved over here from El Salvador when I was six. My grandpa had been ill for about a year. He was confined to a wheelchair." She laughed to herself. "You know, my dad and grandma would tell him to slow down but all he'd say was that a wheelchair wouldn't slow him down, if anything, it'd speed him up."

Troy laughed. "I think I would've liked your grandpa."

Gabriella nodded. "Everybody liked him." She paused. "So, I was at secondary school and a few weeks before Christmas, he just died. During the night. It was peaceful. And I guess I should be grateful for that. You know, he didn't suffer at all. The doctors assured us of that. I mean, I know that everybody loses their grandparents and it's not like I'd lost Carmen or my dad and I know that people go through worse things..." She trailed off, staring at her hands. She felt her cheeks redden. Why the hell did she just tell him that?

"But it still hurt?" he guessed.

Gabriella nodded numbly. She lifted her head to look into his eyes. "You have no idea. People thought I was overreacting when my grandpa died. I just withdrew from everybody. My parents, Carmen, my friends. All I could do was write and ride horses. My friends thought my parents were getting a divorce. My teachers though I was suicidal. And people who I wasn't friends with thought I was more of a freak than I already was."

Troy frowned. "Why were you already a freak?" he asked quietly. "You know, besides you being so annoying," he joked quietly.

She cracked a smiled but pointed at her face. "Not exactly white. I mean, I know I'm not black like Chad, Tay and Zeke. But, this is a small town. There aren't that many Colombians." She paused and before she could think twice about it, she was already talking again. "And from then on until I left for Cambridge, I'd visit his grave everyday and read him my recent stories." She looked at him. "Every day, I'd talk to my dead grandpa. I haven't been there since I was eighteen. Over ten years ago."

He shrugged. "Why not?"

"If anyone sees me there and it gets out, I'd be locked up in a mental institute quicker than you could say schizophrenia," she exclaimed. She sighed. "I miss talking to him. He's the reason I became a writer."

Troy cocked his head to the side. "Why did you tell me that?"

"Don't you feel the same?" she asked quietly.

* * *

**A/N: PLEASE READ!**

**Check out my website www (dot) wildcatgirl414 (dot) webs (dot) com it features a fan friendly e-mail of WiLdCaTgIrL414 (at) gmail (dot) com  
**

**I am giving your guys the opportunity to ask me anything you want. It can be about me as a person, as a writer, you can ask about my family relationships, my friends, my inspirations, my heroes, my music, book recommendations. You can ask me anything you want and I'll answer as truthfully as possible. You can post these questions as a review, as a message on here or youtube (just put 'fanfiction question' as your subject) and state your fanfiction username please :)**

**I will post a Q&A video or blog post answering all of these.**

**Please tell me if it should be a video or blog post :)**

**Thanks guys  
**


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: Here is your Weekly Wednesday Update :D

* * *

**

Chapter 5

The quiet was so refreshing. The days had passed since the sort of heart-to-heart and Gabriella could say, honest to God, she hadn't spoken a word to Troy since. No insults, no greetings...nothing. She felt sort of exposed now that Troy knew that she talked to her dead grandfather. Not even Greg and Maria knew that. They had always assumed that she had been going to the library or to the park to do some reading. But she wasn't. She was always at her grandfather's grave.

She knew that her episode at the barbeque had scared Amber but she had made it up to the young girl. They had spent many days together, playing in the barn and Gabriella had even let Amber ride Chica for the first time. Now, they were back to their old selves. Amber would spend a few hours with Greg, Maria and Carmen so that Gabriella could work on her book.

Gabriella sighed. The barn had everything she needed: quiet, space and most importantly, the relaxing smells of the earth. The sheets of possible beginnings were spread out in front of her, on the ledge. They were all horrible. And she knew that. In order to get an idea of romance novels, she'd read _Pride and Prejudice_, _The Time Traveller's Wife_ and _The Notebook_. And none of her beginnings were like those. They were weak. They didn't even grasp her attention and she was the writer. Usually, she'd fix it in editing. But, even editing couldn't help.

She wanted to cry.

She took a deep breath and flung them all into the barn below. She'd try again. Of course she would. She never stopped trying. At anything.

"You haven't got a notebook to throw at me, have you?" a voice called jokingly.

Gabriella hesitantly crawled to the edge and peered down at Troy. She smiled at him. "No, not today."

"What are these?" Troy picked a few pieces of paper up.

Gabriella sighed and made her way to the ladder. "Beginnings that are so bad, it's unbelievable." She quickly descended the ladder and jogged over to him. She tugged at her shorts and her eyes flickered from the papers to his eyes.

He gestured to them with his eyes.

She paused, about to protest and then sighed. "Sure. Why not?" She sat down on a nearby hay bale.

Troy sat next to her as he read through them. He chuckled to himself a few times, causing embarrassment to swell in her stomach. He already thought she wasn't a great writer and now she had just proved it to him. Every time he had finished reading one of the sheets, he handed them to her absentmindedly. As he kept reading the sheets of paper, her heart sank lower and lower into her stomach.

Troy paused. "This one isn't so bad. This is actually really good."

Gabriella turned to him. "You mean that?"

Troy nodded. "Of course. As annoying as you are, I don't lie." He handed it to her. "Read it to me."

Gabriella swallowed and looked down at her curvaceous handwriting. She took a deep breath.

_Lindy watched him from across the yard. She could feel her blood pulsing through her veins at a quicker rate and she was sure that _he_ could hear it. She leant against her car, a rather unfeminine Nissan Navarra, and tilted her head to the side. This wasn't supposed to happen. All she wanted was a job. She didn't want...him._

_He was someone she knew too well. Troy Fletcher was anything but predictable and that explained why he was now working with horses. She remembered him well. At school he had been stubborn, annoying, conceited and obsessed with sport. Unfortunately for her, that meant that they couldn't stand each other and the teachers blatantly ignored their persistent arguments._

_She had seen him progress from boy-ish cute, to lanky, to teenager cute and finally to man. But that hadn't changed her feelings for him. In fact, his good looks made her detest him even more because of his cocky attitude about it. But not seeing him for almost ten years made her notice the little changes in him. He was definitely taller, his hair was darker, his eyes were deeper and more intense. He was definitely more muscular. Seeing him take his button up shirt off confirmed that._

_Her breath hitched when she saw him move back towards the brown mare he was working with. His muscles rippled as he moved and she saw that galloping horses were tattooed across his eagle wings. She could tell he was breaking the mare in and the way he moved with the horse looked more natural than anything she'd ever seen. It seemed that he was more horse than human._

Gabriella turned to Troy. "That was good?"

Troy smiled and nodded. "Yeah. It was." He paused. "It needs to be edited," he added quickly.

She rolled her eyes. "Hollywood, I have more than three bestselling books. I know that the first manuscripts need editing."

He shook his head to himself. "Once again, ungrateful."

"That's not true," she whispered.

"It's not?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"I'm losing faith, okay? These," she waved the papers about, "are awful. Except the one I just read to you. Okay? Maybe I'm not that great of a writer but without it...I'm nothing. I had the opportunity to become a professional horse rider and a professional ballerina but I turned them down because writing is who I am." She paused and turned to stare ahead of her. "I'm sorry. You don't understand," she whispered. "I have to write. At my grandpa's funeral, I promised my grandpa, God, the universe..." she turned to him, "anyone who'd listen, that I'd become a writer. And if I can't finish this book, my publisher and agent will drop me."

Troy nodded solemnly. "Maybe I could help," he offered.

"How?" she asked.

Troy paused before he moved the slightest amount towards her.

She gasped and leapt to her feet, causing her papers to fly everywhere. "I can't kiss you. I can't."

Troy frowned. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."

"I think I have an idea," she mumbled. "I'm sorry but it's too soon. And I have Amber to consider. And I can't afford distractions. Not to mention you still make me feel nauseas around you." She paused. "And you have a beard," she mumbled.

"What about my beard?" Troy asked.

"I hate beards," she exclaimed as she began picking the pieces of paper up. She turned to him. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go and do something else. I...please stay away so that I can figure this out."

* * *

Gabriella threw her books and papers onto island counter in the kitchen and gave a passing glance at the kitchen window. She froze as she moved to get a glass from the shelf. What the...? She turned back to the window and stepped closer to get a better look. Troy was outside, baseball glove in hand, playing catch with...Amber? Gabriella reached blindly for her mobile and pressed speed dial number three. She watched the game of catch curiously as she listened to the persistent ring.

"Hey, Hermana. What's up? How'd the library go?" Carmen asked.

"The library went great," she answered truthfully. "I just called because I'm home and I want to know why the hell Troy is playing baseball with my daughter."

"Oh the baseball thing? Yeah, Troy loves it. He'll complain a lot because it's not on English TV and he has to watch the games online. It's baseball season," Carmen added.

"Yeah, I know that. But, even so-"

"Oh come on, Gabi," Carmen complained. "Just because you hate his guts, don't make things difficult for everybody else. Amber adores him."

Gabriella took a deep breath. "I don't hate him. I just...need time to figure things out."

"You promised things wouldn't change," Carmen whispered.

"And they haven't. I'll see you later," she muttered as she hung up.

Gabriella glanced at the papers on the counter before heading out of the back door towards Troy and Amber. "Hey, sweetie," Gabriella greeted.

Troy was about to answer before he realised exactly who Gabriella was greeting.

"Hi, Mummy," Amber murmured, hugging her mother's legs.

Gabriella smiled and looked up at Troy. Her smile faltered. "Hi," she whispered.

Troy smiled slightly and waved at her. "Hi." He strolled over to her. He noticed her blank look. "What did I do now?"

Gabriella patted Amber's back. "Honey, why don't you go on inside and think about what you'd like for lunch?"

Amber nodded. "Okay." She hugged Troy's legs and then skipped towards Gabriella's house.

Troy patted his baseball glove. "Ella, if this is about the other day, I apologised. I wanted to help."

She looked up at him in shock. "But how would that help me? Anyway, that's not the point. I came over here because I want to know why you were playing baseball with Amber."

Troy shrugged. "I came with my glove and my ball because I was going to play with Greg and Amber asked about it so I was showing her."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "If you're going to introduce her to a sport, can you please introduce her to a real sport like...rugby. Or football to Americans."

Troy folded his arms. "I've been in England long enough to know what rugby is. What's wrong with baseball? Have even seen a game or played it?"

"Well, baseball is basically men in tight trousers, or pants, that are too tight and they run around like loons. I watched a Yankees' game against the Red Sox when I was in America. And if I had to pick, I'd say that I sort of like the Yankees. But, that's not the point. Isn't baseball simply rounders?"

"No!" Troy exclaimed. "First of all, baseball is a traditional American pass-time. And, yes, I realise I'm in England. Secondly, the Red Sox are so much better than the Yankees! And, no, baseball is not simply rounders."

Gabriella held her hands up defensively. "Okay. But even so...I want my daughter to know real sports...like ballet."

Troy frowned and leaned closer. "I'm sorry, what?"

Gabriella shrugged. "Ballet. It's one of the most difficult sports ever."

He quirked an eyebrow before he burst out laughing. "Ballet? Are you kidding?"

She shrugged. "I used to compete. You know, after the whole I-hate-God-for-letting-my-grandpa-die phase. And it's fierce out there. It's not like baseball. It's worse. Much worse. And it's much harder, too."

"I doubt that. Have you ever done suicides for basketball training?" Troy challenged.

Gabriella shook her head. "No. Have you ever done an emboité?"

"Do I look like the kind of guy who knows what that is, let alone actually do one?" Troy asked.

"I rest my case," Gabriella concluded.

"Okay, how about a deal?" Troy challenged. "We'll play a one-on-one of basketball and when you lose, you have to do an hour's training for baseball."

Gabriella crossed her arms. "And when you lose, you have to do an hour's training for ballet _and_ make me tea."

"Why do you want me to make you dinner?" Troy asked in confusion.

Gabriella shrugged. "I'll probably be exhausted from winning." She grinned.

Troy nodded. "Alright then. Loser has to do an hour's training for the winner's sport and make the winner dinner."

"Alright," Gabriella murmured. "When?"

Troy shrugged. "Tomorrow? 2PM?"

"Sure, why not? I take it you're not working then?" Gabriella mumbled.

He shook his head. "No," he whispered. "I did have something planned but as long as I can leave before four, it shouldn't be a problem."

"What have you got planned? A date?" she asked timidly.

Troy cracked a smiled. "Me? A date? I would've thought you could tell that women aren't exactly flaunting themselves at me. No, it's something different. Personal."

"Alright then. Well, I've got to make Amber some lunch. I'll see you tomorrow," she mumbled as she turned and began walking away.

"Hey, Ella," Troy called.

Gabriella turned to him. "Yeah?"

Troy furrowed his brow and took a deep breath. "I meant what I said the other day. I want to help you. I'm not exactly an expert with romance but I know two people who are. If you let me know when it's convenient, I could introduce you to them."

Gabriella nodded slowly. "Alright," she said quietly. "I'll let you know." She was about to walk away but paused. "Who are they?"

Troy threw the baseball into the air and caught it with his glove. "Who else? My parents."

* * *

**A/N: Don't forget to check out my official website www (dot) WiLdCaTgIrL414 (dot) webs (dot) com**

**I have an official facebook page now. The link is on my website and my fanfiction profile right here.**

**I have made a 'book cover' type thing. Actually, I've made two. One is for 'Troy and Gabriella' and one is for 'Serendipity'. The links are in my profile right here or you can go to my website or my facebook page :)**

**Ummmm...would you guys like a video blog? Should I do that or is it a bit tacky? What are your thoughts?  
**


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: Well, this is your Weekly Wednesday Update :)

* * *

**

Chapter 6

"So what's your deal with him?" Sharpay asked impatiently.

Gabriella, who was sleepy, still in her pyjamas, and desperately wishing the ground would swallow her up, squinted at her best friend. "Hmm...what?"

Sharpay rolled her eyes and pushed her way into Gabriella's house. Charlie and Zeke followed a minute later. The blonde marched into the living room, followed by Charlie. Zeke stayed, noticing that Gabriella was leaning against the wall, falling back to sleep. He shook her shoulder. "G?"

Gabriella's eyes fluttered open and she yawned. "Sorry," she muttered as she shut the door. "I was working late. I had a bolt of inspiration."

"Well, Shar dragged me here. She wants to talk. Where's Amber?" he asked as they made their way to the living room.

Gabriella more or less fell into the armchair that was in the corner of the living room. She curled her legs under herself, trying to wake up for her friends' sake. "Asleep."

"Do you want me to wake her up? And dress her? Feed her?" Zeke offered.

Gabriella nodded absentmindedly. "Sure."

"Gabriella," Charlie said excitedly and Charlie climbed into his lap.

Gabriella smiled sleepily and hugged the little boy close. "How are you, sweetheart?"

Charlie grinned toothily. "I'm okay thank you, Auntie Gabi."

"Gabriella," Sharpay snapped.

Suddenly more awake, the brunette woman turned to her best friend. "What? Why are you here?"

Sharpay quirked an eyebrow. "Carmen told me about your deal with Troy."

Gabriella rolled her eyes and cradled Charlie in her lap. "That," she mumbled.

Sharpay chuckled to herself. "What's your deal with him?"

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "He's awful. He is annoying and arrogant and he makes me feel nauseas."

"And he's incredibly hot?" Sharpay asked.

Gabriella turned to her in shock. "I'm sorry, what? He is not hot. At all. Ever."

"Really? I thought he was and, I mean, we usually have the same taste in men," Sharpay explained.

Zeke walked in then with Amber in a yellow dress. She grinned when she saw Charlie. Charlie jumped down and they began playing with Amber's toys on the floor. "So, what's up?" Zeke asked, sitting next to Sharpay.

"Gabi's in denial," she said in a sing-song voice.

"No she's not," Gabriella sang back. "He's repulsive and annoying and he's confusing. He's being really sweet to me, wanting to help me with this book. But, then he gets all arrogant again and I don't know where I stand."

Sharpay frowned. "It's the beard, right? Well, maybe he can shave," she suggested.

"He'd never do that. He knows that the beard really aggravates me. He'd never shave." She paused and took a deep breath. "There's one more thing."

Zeke chuckled. "Which is?"

"He almost kissed me," she whispered.

"Really?" Sharpay exclaimed excitedly.

Gabriella shrugged. "He wants to help with my book and he started leaning in."

"And?" Zeke asked.

Gabriella shrugged again. "I panicked. I mean, he says he doesn't hate me but he acts like he does. And not to mention the beard."

Sharpay sighed. "I think it's time you got over your pogonophobia."

Zeke stared at her in disbelief. "Where'd you hear that?"

Sharpay pointed at Gabriella. "Her. Who else?"

"I can't," Gabriella protested as she stood up. "They're disgusting. I mean, who knows what poor defenceless creatures are living in there. I'm not kissing him until he's shaved." She marched towards the archway that led into the kitchen and hallway.

"Are you implying that you'd kiss him if he shaved?" Sharpay asked slowly.

Gabriella turned to them and shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, he loves horses and Amber and those two things are the most important things in the world to me. And he gets on with my family which is a miracle. But, I feel so sick around him and these insults just flood out."

"That sickness feeling," Sharpay started, "are you sure it's not butterflies?"

"Look, Mummy," Amber squealed. She held up a cowboy toy and a cowgirl toy. "It's you and Troy."

Gabriella glared at Sharpay and Zeke when they laughed. She was thankful when they took Amber and Charlie outside so that Gabriella could get dressed and look...presentable. Amber's toys were left, forgotten on the living room floor. She frowned and bent down to pick up the cowboy and cowgirl dolls. She stared at them curiously. Maybe it was paranoia. There was no way that Amber's dolls could look like her and Troy...right?

She dropped them and they landed with an _oof!_ She was tired. That's what it was. She was tired, stressed and pissed off. She was pissed at her agent, at Troy, at Sharpay... Hell, she was even pissed at God. She trudged towards the stairs and passed a mirror in the hallway. She looked like _that_? _Great. Just great_. She looked like the bride of Frankenstein. No, wait...Frankenstein's wife looked better.

What a fabulous day this was turning out to be.

* * *

"So, you and Troy seem to be...better," Greg said cautiously.

Gabriella looked up from the local paper and nodded. "I guess we are. I think," she mumbled as she turned back to the paper.

"I wish you'd talk to me," he murmured.

Gabriella looked at him. "How can I talk about something I can't understand myself?"

"I wish you weren't a writer sometimes. Maybe you would say something as it is instead of having me wonder about it for days on end," he grumbled as he sat next to her at the island in the kitchen.

Gabriella shrugged. "Force of habit. And you don't have to worry about anything."

"Except the relationship between my daughter and my assistant manager," he pointed out.

"It's not a relationship," she exclaimed. "It's nothing. We're trying to get along but he's just so..."

"Give me one thing that's actually wrong with him," Greg said quietly.

Gabriella reached for her scrunchie and pulled her hair back away from her face. She tied her hair tightly in a high ponytail and thought about it. "He calls me Ella," she whispered.

"Well, maybe it's time," he offered.

She shrugged. "But it doesn't change the fact that it hurts."

"Maybe you could explain to him," Greg offered.

Gabriella shook her head. "It wouldn't even matter. He already thinks I'm schizophrenic."

Greg was just about to question her when Troy came in. He threw the basketball, which looked low on air, in his arms expertly to Greg who caught it easily. Troy proceeded to take his plaid shirt off and wipe the sweat from his face with it. "Hey Greg," he greeted. "Ella," he said as an afterthought.

Gabriella was about to protest when Maria came in with a basket of laundry, Carmen trailing behind, texting furiously. "Boys, what have I told you about basketball in the house?"

"Sorry Maria," Troy and Greg mumbled.

"But in our defence," Greg began, "all Troy did was throw it at me. It wasn't actually basketball. Besides, he borrowed it, obviously wrecked it, and was giving it back to me."

Maria quirked an eyebrow.

"Sorry, honey," he mumbled.

"I'll take this disgusting thing," Maria said as she snatched Troy's shirt from him and threw it in the basket of laundry.

Troy shrugged. "Alright. Get it back to me, though."

Alright. So Sharpay had been right. He was hot.

"Gabi, are you okay?" Carmen asked.

She shrugged. "Yeah." She turned back to the paper spread out in front of her. "Hey, hermana, there's an article about Ryan's dance school here."

Carmen peered over her sister's shoulder. "So there is."

Gabriella shrugged and turned back to the paper. "So, Hollywood, what are you doing here? Don't you have students to teach?"

Troy slapped his forehead. "No. Greg, Mrs Johnson called. Emily can't make it today. Something has come up."

Carmen continued texting and giggled to herself.

Troy frowned. "What is it?"

"Something's going to be coming up between you and Gabi real soon," she joked.

Gabriella slapped her sister's arm and glared. "That's disgusting." She rubbed her forehead tiredly. "That wasn't funny."

"If it wasn't about me, I'd probably laugh," Troy said slowly. "Anyway, Ella," he didn't notice how Gabriella flinched, "are you ready for our one-on-one? I mean, now that I don't have any more students, I can do it now."

Gabriella looked at him. Really looked at him. He looked scruffy and unkempt. And, in a weird and twisted way, she respected that. It was a known fact throughout Scarborough and a good part of North Yorkshire, too, that he had been on Scarborough's under 20s football team and even made it to the county team as well. Until he finished secondary school and went to college. He quit the prospect of doing sport professionally in favour of concentrating on equestrian studies and only playing sports as a pass-time. So, he hadn't been in the paper since he was sixteen. Which was what? He was four years older than her so it was seventeen years ago. The point was that despite his popularity and small town fame when he was younger, he didn't flaunt it. He had a good (_very good_, she mentally corrected herself) body but he didn't make a big deal about it.

Now _that_ was hot.

"Ella!" Troy exclaimed as he snapped his fingers in front of her eyes. "What is wrong with you?"

"Oh, um," she began as she shut her paper, "I'm tired. I had some...inspiration for a novel and...yeah." She slid off of the island stool and approached him. Yeah, he was hot. "We're going over to Troy's place for a one-on-one."

"Is that okay, Greg?" Troy asked suddenly.

Greg glanced at Maria who was piling the laundry into the washing machine. "Don't look at me," she exclaimed. "He asked you, not me."

Greg turned to Carmen. "Sweetie?"

Carmen turned away from her phone. "Huh? What?"

"Okay, who are you texting so much?" Greg demanded.

Gabriella glanced apologetically at Troy and shrugged.

Carmen shrugged. "It's Ryan."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Yes, Sharpay's younger brother. Can we go now and get this over with?"

Greg sighed and nodded. "Sure. Go on. Just don't hurt yourself."

Gabriella closed her eyes briefly. "Whatever. Come on, Hollywood. You're giving me a ride."

Troy led her to his truck that made Gabriella laugh. They both climbed into the truck and Troy started the engine. "What's funny?"

"How old is this thing?" Gabriella asked through a giggle. She strapped her seatbelt across her body and settled herself into the passenger seat.

Troy shrugged. "I don't know. My dad bought it when we moved here and he gave it to me when I passed my test."

Gabriella smiled across at him. "Well, it's amazing that this thing has lasted that long."

Troy shook his head to himself as he pulled out of the ranch and onto the main road. "Yeah, well, I'm all for sentimental value and all that jazz. I can't get rid of this car. I fix it up myself whenever it packs up on me."

"It packs up a lot?" Gabriella asked.

Troy shrugged. "Quite a bit. Sorry about the clutter."

Gabriella bent down and retrieved an old oil stained shirt from the foot well. "Hollywood, do you clean the inside of this car? Ever?" She threw the shirt into the backseat and shuddered. "Usually, I don't care about smells or mess. I mean, come on, I live with horses. But, this is the extreme."

Troy ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, well, this is my car. Nobody rides in it but me."

"That explains a lot," she muttered. "And do you ever wear a shirt when you're not teaching?"

"Does it bother you?" he asked.

Gabriella was about to nod before she denied the question. "Why would it bother me?"

"Well, you won't mind if I play this one-on-one shirtless, right?" Troy asked.

Gabriella leaned her head against the window. _Well, crap_. This was just fabulous, wasn't it?

* * *

"This is your house?" Gabriella exclaimed as she jumped down from the truck. She stared up at the white house that towered impressively overhead. It was the picture perfect house for a happy family. It had the cliché picket fence around the front garden, multicoloured flowers planted around the front lawn and large windows covered by net curtains.

Troy chuckled as he locked his truck and made his way to the front door. "Hey, I enjoy taking pride in my house." He pushed the front door open. "Rain, come here, girl." He knelt down and fussed the dog. He held his hand just above the dog's head. "High five." Rain lifted her paw above her head and tapped Troy's hand. "There's my girl. You remember Ella, right?"

Gabriella smiled and reached over Troy's shoulder to scratch Rain's ears. "She's beautiful."

Troy stood up and nodded as he gestured for Gabriella to step inside. He shut the front door and smiled down at the sheepdog who was sat on her haunches, panting and looking between her owner and Gabriella. "She's my best friend."

Gabriella paused. "Can I use your bathroom, please?"

Troy nodded. "Straight up the stairs. You can't miss it. Would you like a drink?"

Gabriella smiled to herself and looked over her shoulder as she stood on the first step. "You don't have to be nice to me. In no way in hell is this a date."

"I'm just using my manners. My dad would kill me if I didn't show a woman, even you, manners," he explained.

"So, ever since we've met, you've just been using..." She sighed. "It doesn't even matter. I'll be right back."

She climbed the stairs and made her way into the bathroom. Once the door was shut, she did her business and washed her hands thoroughly. She lifted her suds-covered hands to her nose and felt a smile pull at her lips. She was a sucker for the scent of cinnamon. She rinsed her hands and dried them on a nearby towel. She was about to leave the bathroom when she saw something in the mirror. She turned around and looked at the pot on the window sill that held the toothbrushes. That was the problem. Why the hell was there a pink toothbrush along with a blue one?

Gabriella swallowed a lump in her throat. Why did that bother her so much? Because she thought that Troy would never attract female company in that way? Because he didn't tell her? Because she actually liked him?

_NO!_

She took a deep breath, washing the idea of her liking Troy (_never in a million years_, she chanted to herself) away. Gabriella frowned at her reflection. What had just happened? What had she just uncovered about herself? She had always been so sure she knew who she was but now... She was truly appalled with herself. No. Appalled wasn't the right word. Shocked. That was it.

_Nonplussed. _That was a better word.

Because the problem was that she had genuinely no inkling that discovering a pink toothbrush, along with the implications of Troy having a romantic interest, would make her feel this way. But despite that...

It had. Even though he drove her insane and she obviously annoyed him, too, he had a beard, was American, she was just an 'average' writer, she could count the things they had in common on one hand and that they were about as compatible as chalk and cheese, in the past few seconds, Gabriella discovered that she was very much able to feel the burning, anger-inducing white hot jealousy where Troy was concerned. It was so awful that she was almost physically sick. She could feel it in her stomach, right next to the immovable lump that she'd felt since she'd first spoken to him.

She made her way back downstairs and paused in the hallway when she heard Troy talking on the phone.

"No, I was with her this morning. She's doing better." He paused, listening to the reply. "Yeah, Greg's totally cool with me being late some days as long as I don't miss any students. Dad, he knows how much she means to me. She's the most important woman in my life. I'll talk to you later, Dad."

Gabriella stepped into the kitchen and forced a smile at him. "Everything okay?"

Troy nodded and stepped past her to the cupboard under the stairs. He produced a basketball and smiled at her. "Why wouldn't it be?"

Gabriella could feel the nausea worse than ever along with an angry fire brewing in her stomach. Was he stringing her along? Did he think she was stupid? "No reason. Come on, this one-on-one won't take very long. First one to ten wins."

* * *

Gabriella leapt and made one final slam dunk, making the final score 10-6. Suffice to say she had taken her anger out on the damn basketball and had won. She turned to look at Troy who was staring in disbelief at her.

"No fucking way," he muttered as he sauntered over to the wooden bench at the side of his basketball court. Yes, Troy Bolton had a mini basketball court.

Gabriella closed her eyes briefly and went over to sit next to him. "Don't feel bad. I mean, you just got beat by me. I can barely run."

"I know. I caught you whenever you fell over, remember?" he muttered.

Gabriella sighed. "Don't make me feel bad. It's not my fault that I won."

He shrugged. "So, when am I doing this ballet thing?" he asked.

Gabriella almost felt sorry for him. He had just lost to her. She was unskilled, untrained and incredibly clumsy. The only time she wasn't clumsy was when she practiced a ballet routine enough times so that she could do it in her sleep. Then she remembered the toothbrush and the phone call. Yeah, the anger was back. She crossed one leg over the over and folded her arms. "When's convenient?" she muttered. "I know you have to leave by four."

"Did I do something wrong?" Troy asked. "You seem really mad and I don't know why."

"I'm fine," she snapped. "When's convenient?" she repeated.

He shrugged. "Um, I don't know. If we go inside, I can check my calendar," he offered. They made their way inside and Troy unhooked his calendar from the wall. He glanced wearily at Gabriella, dressed in a tank top and shorts, who was leaning against the sink. She was looking out of the kitchen window, watching Rain bound around the garden, chasing a butterfly. "I never asked: where's Amber today?"

She shrugged. "With Sharpay and Zeke."

Troy nodded to himself and turned back to his calendar. "I can't make tomorrow. I'm working in the morning and then I have plans in the afternoon. What about the day after at, say, three in the afternoon?"

"What? No plans that day?" Gabriella asked sarcastically.

Troy shook his head. "No. No plans. I thought you'd be happy. You won. I have to do ballet. Me. And make you dinner."

Gabriella shrugged. "It's not as satisfying as I'd hoped it would be," she whispered. "Can you take me home now?"

* * *

**A/N: Please Read:**

**don't forget my official website at www (dot) wildcatgirl414 (dot) webs (dot) com**

**and my official facebook fanpage. The link is in my fanfiction profile or at my official website :)**

**Also, on youtube, there will be (once I record it in five minutes) a video explaining personal connections and plot developments in this chapter. There will be a weekly video to accompany each chapter :)  
**


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: This is your Weekly Wednesday Update... The accompanying video will be up later on tonight :)

* * *

**

Chapter 7

Chapter three was finished! She was actually getting somewhere. Bizarrely, things were looking up. She was actually writing a pretty good romance novel. She clicked print on her laptop and a few minutes later, she filed the latest chapter away in the ring binder folder which contained the other chapters. If it wasn't for the fact that she was still angry about Troy's toothbrush and phone call, she would've been in a good mood.

It was at times like these when she would've escaped to Grandpa Montez's grave and simply...talked. She never expected a reply and she never got one but it was always nice to get something like this off of her chest. Unfortunately, what she said to Troy was true: if anyone found out she used to talk to her dead grandfather, she'd be locked up.

So she'd settle for the next best thing.

She reached for the phone and dialled the familiar number. "Hola, abuela."

Catalina Montez chuckled into the phone. "Ahy! Mi nieta querida. Como estas?"

"Abuela, can I come over?" Gabriella asked, twirling around in her office chair.

"Si, si, si! Absolutamente!" Catalina enthused.

* * *

"Abuela," Gabriella greeted as she hugged her grandmother. She pulled back and patted Amber's back. "Abuela, this is my daughter, Amber. Amber, this is your tatarabuela."

Catalina bent down and hugged the blonde little girl. "You're beautiful." She pulled back and grinned. "Would you like some cookies? They're fresh from the oven."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Of course."

Amber nodded excitedly. "Grandma lets me help her bake brownies all of the time."

Catalina gestured to the living room. "Please, go on through. I'll just get the cookies." She bustled through to the kitchen and returned with a plate of chocolate chip cookies. She set them on the coffee table and nudged Gabriella off of the two-seater settee so she could sit next to Amber.

Gabriella resorted to sitting in the armchair in the corner which Grandpa Montez once occupied. "How've you been?" Gabriella asked.

Catalina brushed back some of her grey hair. "Oh, Gabi, I've been wonderful. I'm re-reading all of your books."

Gabriella rolled her eyes in embarrassment. "Yes, abuela. For the millionth time, right?"

Catalina grinned. "You're just so talented."

Gabriella's smile faltered. "Yeah."

Catalina gripped Amber's hand. "Amber, would you like to play with some of Mummy's dollies?"

Amber nodded. "Yeah, I would."

Catalina grinned and took Amber and the plate of cookies into the spare bedroom. "We're just in here if you need anything." She sat back down on the settee and patted the seat next to her. "What's wrong? Is it this romance novel?"

Gabriella shook her head as she sat down next to Catalina. "I've written three chapters. It's going pretty well, actually."

"Then, what is it?" Catalina asked. "You can tell me anything."

Gabriella nodded. "It's Papi's assistant manager. We met and we just don't like each other. We always insult each other and I thought that nothing would change that. I mean, it was kind of nice for me. I haven't had a good fight since I was with that Ben guy at Cambridge. So, it was really cool, if I'm honest. I don't know why we insult each other, we just do. To be honest, the only thing I don't like about him is his beard."

"Ah, si. Maria hasn't let mi hijo have a beard since he was eighteen," Catalina murmured nostalgically.

"Exactly. But, other than that... Abuela, he's perfect in theory. I mean, he loves horses and Amber adores him and he gets on with Papi which is a miracle." Gabriella took a deep breath. "He's wonderful. He makes me feel human again. These past three years, it's like I've been a robot and he makes me feel things that nobody else has. When I'm around him, there's this swelling in my stomach that is really nauseating and my heart beats wildly and I just get verbal diarrhoea and call him all of these things."

Catalina stroked her granddaughter's hair. "Gabi, I know you. What else is there?"

Gabriella's eyes watered and she looked over at the picture of her grandparents' wedding. "Troy...he calls me Ella."

"Really? Didn't you set him straight?" Catalina asked.

Gabriella laughed and nodded. She turned to Catalina. "Of course I did. Every time he called me it, I told him it's Gabriella. But, he's stubborn. Unbelievably so. And conceited. He won't let it go."

Catalina smiled to herself. "Reminds me of my eldest granddaughter."

Gabriella frowned. "But that's not the point. He calls me Ella," she repeated firmly.

Catalina shrugged. "Does it hurt?"

Gabriella was about to reply when she faltered. "It did."

"But," Catalina prodded.

Gabriella shrugged. "It's kind of nice. It's been so long since someone called me that."

"Oh, Gabi. Ricardo would be so proud of you. I know you miss him," Catalina whispered.

Gabriella nodded. "Yeah."

"Now about this nauseating feeling," Catalina began, "did it ever occur to you that maybe you like this Troy?"

Gabriella frowned at Catalina. "No. Do you think I do?"

Catalina shrugged. "When I saw Ricardo for the first time, things just seemed better somehow. Like he saw me differently from everybody else. I got butterflies that never left me. Even all of these years on."

"Even now?" Gabriella whispered.

Catalina smiled and nodded. "Yes. What about you?"

Gabriella shook her head and looked away. "I can't like him. I went to his house to play basketball and when I was in the bathroom, I found a pink toothbrush. And then I overheard him on the phone to his dad about how this woman is the most important woman in the world to him."

"Are you jealous?" Catalina asked.

Gabriella shrugged. "I don't know. I just don't want him to be stringing me along."

Catalina hugged Gabriella close to her. "Why didn't you talk to Maria about all of this?"

Gabriella pulled back and sniffed. "Carmen's home, remember? I love her with everything I am. She's my sister. But with Amber's arrival, Mami's a bit preoccupied."

"Do you want to know what I think?" Catalina asked.

Gabriella nodded numbly.

"I think you need to get Troy straight. Does he know the connection with calling you Ella?" Catalina asked.

Gabriella shook her head. "No."

"Well, there you go. He probably thinks he's just annoying you," Catalina explained. "Gabi, you have to remember that things aren't always as they seem."

* * *

The days passed since Gabriella's confession with Catalina and she felt better about everything. She didn't know why but Catalina was one of those people who just calmed your nerves. And, of course, Amber had really taken to her, too. Now, though, Gabriella was sat on the floor of Ryan's dance studio, tying up her ballet slippers. A white bandage was wrapped securely around her left ankle beneath the pink ribbons of the slipper. Just as she finished tying her last slipper, Troy trudged through the door in a plain t-shirt and some shorts.

Gabriella stood up and smoothed down her black leotard and pink skirt. "Hi."

Troy nodded at her. "Hi. So, what do you want me to do?"

"Before you do anything," Ryan began as he strode over, "you need this." He handed Troy a green unitard.

"Oh, here you go, Ella," Troy held it out for Gabriella.

Ryan and Gabriella laughed together. "That's for you," Ryan explained.

Troy stared at it in disbelief. "I am not going to be able to fit in that."

"Trust me, you're not that big," she murmured.

Troy glared and sighed. "Fine. What about shoes?"

Ryan handed him a pair of men's ballet shoes. "Here you go. Call it a present." He handed over a white button up shirt. "This'll do for your top."

"Are you going to watch?" Troy asked.

Ryan laughed and shook his head. "Hell no. I'm meeting Carmen for lunch and then there's a costume rehearsal for tonight's show. I'll see you guys later. Lock up when you're done," he called as he left the studio.

"Well, go on then. The guys' changing rooms are down through the door right there," she muttered, pointing to the door on her right.

Troy nodded. "Sure."

Gabriella sat down on a chair at the edge of the dance floor and waited patiently for Troy to come back out. She was in the middle of a text conversation with Zeke who was on his break at the bakery he owned when the clearing of a throat caught her attention. She looked up from her phone and she absentmindedly placed her phone on the chair next to hers. She just stared. Words escaped her. She couldn't describe Troy, dressed in his unitard and button up shirt. Gabriella hadn't realised his legs were so long. His muscles were _very_ pronounced in the costume and she could see them flex beautifully as he moved. He looked bizarrely good looking for a guy with a beard.

_NO!_

It only took a moment for her to realise that she was still mad at him.

She stood up and folded her arms. "I told you that you'd get into it."

Troy scratched his beard. "Yeah, yeah. Can you help me with the shoes please?"

Gabriella laughed and nodded. She took the shoes from him and knelt down, placing the shoes on his feet correctly. She rose to her full height and inhaled sharply. "Are you ready?"

"Why do you have a bandage of your foot?" Troy asked.

Gabriella sighed and folded her arms. "This is what years of ballet training does to your joints. Ever since I was fourteen, I've needed a support bandage on my ankle when I do ballet."

Troy frowned but nodded. "Are you okay?"

She shrugged. "Sure. Are you ready?" she repeated. She reached up and pulled her hair which she had straightened earlier into a high pony tail so that it just brushed the base of her neck.

Troy flinched at the iciness of her tone and was just about to question her but she was already in position by the ballet bar on the other side of the room.

* * *

Troy groaned and fell to the floor once it was over. He reached a shaking hand out, groping for his water bottle. Before he could reach it, Gabriella moved it away from him with her foot. She crossed her arms and stared him down.

"Ella," he croaked.

She sighed and picked the water bottle up. She knelt next to hum and poured some water into the palm of her left hand. She rubbed her palm all over his face, even his beard (_eew!_), cooling him down. She didn't know why she was doing this when she was so mad at him but something inside of her couldn't stand the sight of him in pain. She propped him up and tipped some water into his mouth.

"That wasn't ballet, that was bloody torture," Troy groaned. "My feet!"

Gabriella sighed and moved to his feet. She slipped the shoes off and hesitated. Why was she so mad at him? It's not like they were together or that she was remotely interested in him...right?

She sighed and began massaging his feet. "Your feet will hurt for about a day. I wouldn't ride a horse either."

"I have students," he pointed out as he sat up and stared at her.

Mentally slapping herself, Gabriella blurted, "I'll teach them."

"What?" Troy murmured.

Gabriella focussed on massaging his feet. She couldn't control it. Although she was angry at him and jealous of the mystery woman, she wanted to help him. She could feel the inner conflict and was torn between her head and her heart. Her head was telling her to forget about Troy; to block him out quickly before she was hurt. But her heart was telling her to help him.

"I'll teach them," she repeated. "This is all my fault and so if you just sit there telling me what they need to be taught, I will teach them. I was able to ride a horse before I could walk practically. I helped teach Carmen to ride. I can teach them."

"Why would you do that when you don't like me?" Troy asked.

"Why do you have to question me when I'm trying to help?" Gabriella exclaimed.

Troy paused. "You're helping me," he said slowly. "Why?"

Gabriella paused and stood up. "I don't know," she admitted.

Troy got to his feet and winced. "So, when do you want me to cook tea?"

"Tomorrow?" Gabriella asked sharply.

"Sure. How about five?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded. "Are you a good cook?"

"Excellent," Troy admitted.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "I see you're modest."

"Wine or beer?" Troy asked, ignoring her statement.

Gabriella shrugged. "Surprise me."

Troy sighed. "What have I done?"

"It's what you didn't do," Gabriella murmured before she strode towards the girls' locker room.

* * *

Hola – Hello

Abuela – Grandmother

Nieta – Granddaughter

Ahy! Mi nieta querida. Como estas? – My beloved granddaughter. How are you?

Absolutamente – Absolutely

Tatarabuela – Great-grandmother


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: OMG! I can't believe I forgot! Things have been so rushed this past week because I'm back at college. I'm sorry. Well, here it is!

* * *

**

Chapter 8

Gabriella entered the kitchen of the main house with Amber on her hip. Once they were inside, she threw the blonde little girl into the air and caught her. "Are you going to spend the day with Grandpa and the horses today?"

Amber's face fell. "Mummy, I wanted to bake brownies with Grandma," she whined.

"You've had plenty of brownies recently," Gabriella warned.

Maria bustled over and took Amber into her arms. "Oh, Amber. You get prettier every day. What is the plan for the day?"

Gabriella shrugged. "I was going to spend the day with Amber and Papi. You can join us," she offered.

Maria quirked an eyebrow. "Hmmmm...Listen to all of you witter on about horses or go shopping with Carmen? Tough choice."

"Why did you marry Papi?" Gabriella asked incredulously. "Horses are his life."

Maria set Amber on the island counter and moved back to the pile of plates. She continued putting the dried crockery away. "Mi hija, you'll learn someday that things like that won't matter. It doesn't matter to me." She shut the cupboard and walked over to her daughter and granddaughter. "Just because your father loves horses, that doesn't stop me from loving him."

"But, you've always hated horses as much as you hate beards. I don't understand," Gabriella complained.

Maria brushed Gabriella's curls. "Gabi, I'm not going to change your father. I don't want to be into exactly the same things as him. We'd run out of things to say. Not to mention that it would be too boring."

Gabriella frowned, remembering her conversation with Troy. _Why be boring and like each other all of the time?_ Maria was basically saying the same thing. So, was that it? Did she feel something for Troy? She was about to reply to Maria when Troy walked into the kitchen. Did she like him in _that_ way? Catalina had hinted that she did. She needed to figure this out pronto. She needed a guy's opinion on this and no way in hell was she going to talk to Greg about this. So she'd ask the second guy she was closest to. Zeke.

She turned quickly to Amber when she happily yelled out "Troy!" and held out her arms to him.

She needed to have this day with Amber and Greg. It wasn't fair to keep giving her to Greg and Maria every time she had a book to write. She'd have to see Zeke later on tonight. But, wait...

"Are you still helping me teach today?" Troy questioned.

Gabriella gasped. "I forgot. I've kind of made plans with Papi and Amber. How are your feet?" she asked quietly, avoiding his eyes.

He shrugged. "A little sore. But, it's fine. I can still teach. Don't worry about it."

Great. His passiveness about her forgetting made her feel guilty which, combined with jealousy and anger, was certainly not attractive. She swallowed and looked down at her feet which were enclosed in walking boots. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

Troy shrugged. "It happens. Are we still on for tonight?" Troy asked.

Gabriella frowned and picked Amber up, resting her on her hip. "No. Can I get a rain check on that? If Papi comes in, tell him we're in the stables with Chica." She strode out of the house with Amber towards the stables.

Troy rushed after her and fell into step beside her. "What is it? What's up with tonight?"

Gabriella shrugged. "I just can't make it."

"But, why?" Troy demanded.

Gabriella set Amber on the ground. "Mi hija, just go towards the fence and sit on that hay bale. I have to talk to Troy."

Amber nodded and hugged Troy's legs quickly. "Okay, Mummy."

Gabriella spun quickly on Troy. "Listen, I'm sort dealing with something right now and I need some time to figure it out."

"Can I help?" Troy asked.

Gabriella breathed deeply. "Hell no. Look, Troy, I promise we will have this freaking tea but right now I need to try and figure this stuff out, okay? Now, please, please, please, could you leave me alone for a while? I know that we love to annoy each other but right now you're the last thing I need." Gabriella saw him flinch at her final sentence and, although she wasn't sure, she thought she saw a flash of pain in his eyes.

She opened her mouth to speak but Troy beat her to it by clearing his throat. "Well, then, I'm not entirely sure what I should say to that. But, I guess all I can say is let me know when you want this tea." He turned towards the students' stables but paused and turned back to her. "I don't know what's wrong with you and I have a feeling it's something that I've done. If you'd tell me what it is, I'll try to fix it. And that's a promise. But until then, I just want you to know that, despite how I struggle to show it, I do care about you."

Gabriella stared at his back at he walked away, knowing that beneath his shirt, there were those really attractive eagle wings with that brilliant tattoo. She groaned and threw her head back in frustration.

_Well, crap_.

That was just a load of help to figure out her feelings for him.

* * *

"Thanks, Zeke," Gabriella murmured as she picked up her glass of wine.

Zeke smiled and sipped his lager. "It's fine, G." Sat at an outside table at the Londesborough, Gabriella and Zeke were relishing in the cool breeze which kissed their skin. "So, what brought this on?"

"Are you complaining?" she teased, nudging his arm.

He wrapped an arm around her and squeezed her shoulders. "And miss the chance to have a one-on-one with my best friend? No." His face became serious but he kept his hold on her. "So, what is it?"

Gabriella sighed. "Well, first, you have to promise not to tell anybody, especially Shar. I love her to bits but this needs to be you, okay?"

Zeke nodded solemnly. "Of course."

Gabriella breathed deeply. "I don't know what to do. I thought I hated Troy."

"Why do I sense a 'but' is coming?" Zeke asked.

Gabriella paused for a moment before she slammed her hand down on the table. "Coño!"

Zeke rolled his eyes. Knowing her since they were three had taught him that she was likely to burst into a Spanish tirade when she was angry, frustrated or upset. Sadly, he couldn't tell what she was feeling at that moment. All he knew was that he had never coped with her Spanish outbursts particularly well. That had always been Sharpay's department. "Gabi, calm down. I need to understand you."

For a reason she couldn't quite understand, tears brimmed her eyes although she wouldn't let them fall. "Surely you know some Spanish by now," she laughed.

"Not enough," he countered. "And to help you sort this out, I need to understand you."

She nodded glumly. "I know."

"So, you thought you hated him," he prompted.

Gabriella nervously tucked her hair behind her ear. "I don't know how I feel about him anymore. I still want to insult him all of the time. But things are different. I know they are. But I can't figure it out."

"When did it change?" Zeke asked.

Gabriella thought about it. "The barbeque. We had a barbeque. Just Mami, Papi, Carmen, Amber and me. But Troy came over and I guess that's it. It was like he was seeing me differently because of what happened here."

Zeke chuckled under his breath. "Ah, Gabi, don't worry so much."

"I'm not worrying," she hissed.

Zeke took a mouthful of his lager. "I know you," he whispered.

Gabriella looked away from him. "Zeke, I love you and I don't want anything to change that."

Zeke kissed her forehead. "Nothing will. Just talk to me."

Gabriella took a deep breath. "Basically, I accidentally mentioned how I'd withdrawn from everybody and I freaked out because of it. It was too much. I don't know why I said it but I'm kind of glad that I did. It felt good. A couple of days later, Troy found me in the barn and I talked about it. But that just messed with my head. I don't know what he thinks of me anymore."

Zeke paused. "And you don't know what you think of him?"

She nodded and the tears finally flowed. "Hell yeah. I know how I feel about him." She swirled her wine around her glass. "I just don't want to admit it out loud."

Zeke frowned. "Do you want to enlighten me?"

"I'm jealous," she whispered. "I found a pink toothbrush at his house and I just feel so jealous all of the time." She turned to him suddenly. "You know the time before you asked Shar out, when she was with that guy...Matt! Did you feel physically sick? Did it hurt?"

Zeke nodded. "Oh yeah. Definitely. Second worst feeling in the world. But, it gave me the guts to make my move."

Gabriella scratched her head. "I guess. But surely that implies that I sort of like him?"

"I can't answer that," he murmured.

"Why?" she whined.

Zeke chuckled at her antics. "G, nobody can answer that but you. You have to be brave and trust your own judgement. That's because love isn't black and white. I know that guys have never been a priority for you considering the whole introvert phase and then there was you trying to develop your talent. And you spent so much time with the horses. You never really had time to think about guys in that way."

Gabriella released a tiny giggle. "I get it."

"But, if you're feeling this way, maybe your priorities should change. G, think about Amber. She needs a dad. Don't you think?" he asked. "Maybe you should give the prospect of a relationship with him a chance."

Gabriella groaned and sipped her wine. "I don't know. I always thought I could, you know, choose when I could fall in love but this is different, complicated."

Zeke nodded. "Of course it's complicated. Don't you remember the issues we all had to suffer with Chad and Tay?"

Gabriella laughed. "Oh yeah. They were dropping hints so subtle that Chad managed to convince Nathan to ask Tay out in year nine."

"Exactly. See the mess they got themselves in?" Zeke asked.

Gabriella sighed. "So, what do I do?"

"You talk to him and ask him about this," Zeke explained patiently.

Gabriella put her wine down and moved into his embrace. "Do you ever miss the time when we were in nursery together when the hardest decision was which crayon to use?"

Zeke nodded nostalgically. "Of course I do. But, then again, I didn't know Pay back then."

Gabriella giggled to herself. "Hmmmmm."

"Then again, it was always fun using ice cream bribery on you so that I could use a particular crayon," Zeke mumbled.

Gabriella frowned as she straightened up. "You know as well as I do that ice cream bribery still works on me."

Zeke smirked. "Exactly."

Gabriella rolled her eyes.

"When is he cooking you tea?" Zeke asked.

"I don't know. It was supposed to be tonight but I needed to talk to you," she mumbled in embarrassment.

Zeke looked at her in shock. "What?" he exclaimed. "You blew him off for me?"

Gabriella shrugged. "I needed to talk about it all."

"Does he know you're with me?" Zeke whispered.

"No. Unless somebody's told him. And I doubt that someone did." She paused. "What would I tell him, anyway? That I think I kind of like him but I don't want to admit it and I'm going out to ask the guy I think of as a brother for his opinion?" She paused again to take a longer gulp of the much needed alcohol. "That would go down so well," she mumbled sarcastically.

"You told him that you weren't going, though, right?" Zeke asked.

She nodded. "Of course I did."

Zeke paused. "I've never seen you like this before."

"That's because I was so sure of everything before. I thought I knew who was who and I thought I knew what love was like. I thought I could prepare myself. But I can't and with the freaking pink toothbrush, it just gets more and more complicated," she whined.

Zeke kissed her temple. "Gabi, how do you feel about him?"

Gabriella looked out across the back garden of the restaurant. She saw several children playing on the play area and a young couple, she guessed they were no more than nineteen, were stood together in the corner, whispering to each other. Her shoulders sagged and she gasped for breath. "Fine. I want him. I don't know why. He pisses me off every day. And yet, he's all I think about."

"He has a beard," Zeke pointed out.

Gabriella glared. "I know that." She sighed and brushed her hair from her face. "He calls me Ella," she admitted.

"I noticed that when he joined us here." He scratched his chin. "How does it feel?"

"At first it hurt. But, I got thinking and it's kind of nice, you know?" Gabriella shook her head to herself. "I need to tell him the story about it, don't I?"

"You need to tell him a lot of things," Zeke pointed out. "Soon, as well."

Gabriella took a final sip of her wine. "Do you think it's possible to have romantic feelings for someone who you argue with all of the time?"

Zeke nodded. "I do. Love is expressed in all kind of different ways and I just think that you like Troy, and possibly love him, because he's a breath of fresh air, so to speak. Do you get that? I mean, your parents are exhibit A for how people can be perfectly happy together and not have anything in common."

"Yeah, but, they don't scream at each other every day," Gabriella exclaimed.

"I guess this is just God wanting you to think about how things aren't always as they seem and that maybe you're ready to be in a relationship," Zeke explained patiently.

Gabriella inhaled deeply as she snuggled back into him. "I love you, Zeke."

Zeke kissed her forehead. "I love you, too, G."

* * *

Well, this was an anticlimax Troy desperately didn't need. After all of the stress the night before about what to cook Gabriella, it wasn't happening now. He wasn't one to need evening company regularly; in fact, he spent most nights alone with Rain, either reading books or playing his piano. But, after he had planned and to some extent looked forward to having 'tea', as the English called it, with Gabriella, he couldn't help but feel a little down because she had cancelled it. But, if she had something going on, he wanted her to figure it out before they had their tea. He knew that neither of them would enjoy it the way she was acting at the moment.

It was still bugging him that she wouldn't tell him what he'd done wrong. Sure, he insulted her but she insulted him, too, and she'd never reacted this badly before. He'd hurt her. He knew that much. But, what had he done? It all started when she went over to his house for that one-on-one game. It was like a switch had been flicked while she had been in his bathroom. Before she went, they were _almost_ getting along. The insults had been softened since the first day they met and they were bordering on teasing each other. Then, when she came back down, it was like she was worse than the first day they met. He was no mind reader and he was rather incompetent with social skills but he kind of got the feeling that she couldn't stand the sight of him. He knew she hated beards but she still looked at him when they talked. It just didn't make sense. And whenever she was sort of nice to him, like when she was massaging his feet at the dance studio (oh, how wonderful that had been), it was almost like she was doing it because she didn't have a choice.

Well, it didn't matter because until she started giving him straight answers, he couldn't do anything to help her. And until she gave him straight answers, he wasn't going to have any contact with her other than the standard _'Hi Ella'_ as a passing greeting.

Besides, tonight wasn't about Gabriella and her weird mood swings. Tonight, he was going to enjoy a quiet night with Rain. He stood by the bar, Rain sat dutifully at his feet, waiting to be served. Once he had his pint of lager, he headed outside. He knew that Gabriella's friend...what was her name? Sharpay! Gabriella's friend, Sharpay, owned the restaurant, presumably with Zeke, and he was more than willing to give them some business. He recalled Zeke mentioning a bakery he owned, too. In his quiet time to himself, Troy made a mental note to find the bakery and visit it.

It was nice to sit outside. The ever-oppressive heat of the day had cooled to a mild warmth and the setting sun created the most beautiful paint palette of colours Troy had ever seen painted on a sky. Rain was lying on the ground, one of her paws draped protectively over one of his feet.

Troy swept his gaze over the outside part of the restaurant. There was a family of four seated closest to the play area, an old couple seated away from the door, shaded by the comfort of a trimmed hedge, two young women, presumably sisters, were eating together and laughing with one another, and there was one more couple there... Troy turned his gaze to the table a little in front of him, to the left. He frowned. He recognised those shoulder-length brown curls. Of course he did. Then she curled into the embrace of the dark-skinned man and his suspicions were confirmed when he saw her face. Her almond eyes, her high cheek bones and those sweet lips he had craved to taste. How pathetic he must've seemed to her. Something was wrong, though. Her face was contorted into pain and confusion.

The man she was with turned to her and nodded at whatever she had just asked. Well, that was certainly a twist in fate. No wonder Gabriella hadn't wanted to kiss him. He wouldn't be able to look at Gabriella or Sharpay the same way again.

He had obviously terribly misjudged Gabriella. He felt sick to the stomach. She had a daughter and she was playing with everybody.

And he had believed it.

His heart broke for Sharpay. She'd be devastated. He watched as Gabriella curled into Zeke. He strained to hear. "I love you, Zeke."

He watched as Zeke kissed her forehead. "I love you, too, G."

That was all he needed to hear. Gripping Rain's leash tightly in his hand, he rose suddenly, jolting the dog from her slumber. He moved quickly, not wanting to draw attention to himself. He shouldn't be feeling so upset because of the latest revelation. They weren't even friends and he felt nothing for her at all.

If that was the case, why was he feeling so saddened because of it?

* * *

Coño – Fuck


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N: Here it is! Enjoy :)

* * *

**

Chapter 9

After Gabriella's conversation with Zeke, she always felt anxious, as if Troy could read her mind even thought he had had the day off the following day so she couldn't tell him about the connection with calling him Ella or how she felt about him. Of course, paranoia was not helping her creativity. In fact, since she had completed the third chapter, the novel had come to an abrupt halt and Gabriella was too scared to admit this to anybody.

Many people would take this opportunity to gather their wits. After all, Gabriella had promised Zeke and sort-of-promised Catalina that she would confess to Troy that she kinda, sorta liked him. Okay, she was actually bordering on being in love with him. But, unlike other people, Gabriella had spent the day in the barn, but was luckily (and obviously) not interrupted by Troy, making a list of the pros and cons of her planned confession. If there were more cons, she'd chicken out. Unfortunately for her, there were more pros.

Damn.

In any case, Gabriella sat patiently at the island in Greg and Maria's kitchen, writing constantly in her disintegrating notebook. She would often pause, chew her pen and then scribble out whatever she had just written. Amber was sat beside her, eating some chopped up apple. Maria was bustling, cleaning the kitchen. Things were quiet except the quiet crunch of Amber's apple and the scratching of Gabriella's pen across the paper. Gabriella was simply waiting for Troy to come into work so that she could explain everything to him, possibly humiliate herself in the process, and get it over with.

Gabriella clicked her pen rhythmically for a while before she slid off of her island stool and wandered over to the fridge. She peered curiously at the multicoloured post-its, searching for Troy's name.

Maria stopped her cleaning and frowned. "Gabi, are you okay?"

Gabriella turned to her mother. "Mami, Troy is coming in today, right?"

Maria shrugged. "As far as I know."

Greg came in from taking an early morning ride and he greeted Maria with a kiss and then kissed Amber's head. "What's up?"

"Is Troy coming in today?" Gabriella asked.

Greg nodded. "Yeah. He is. He hasn't said anything else. Why?"

Gabriella shuffled uncomfortably, tugging nervously at her dress. "I want to talk to him."

Amber creased her brow. "Are you okay, Mummy?"

Gabriella faked a smile for her daughter's sake. One of the major cons of making this confession was that if Troy was freaked and then left, Amber would be distraught. It was clear to everyone that she had Troy wrapped around her finger. Gabriella shook her head so that her hair was out of her eyes. "I'm absolutely fine, darling. I need to talk to Troy but once we're done, I'm taking you for ice cream." She walked over to kiss her daughter's forehead.

Slowly, Troy trudged in. Unbelievably, he looked even more unkempt than Gabriella was accustomed to. His hair was stuck up in tufts as if he'd spent his day off just tugging at his hair. His beard was...Yeuch, that was disgusting. His clothes looked like they hadn't been taken off, let alone washed.

Gabriella's eyes widened. And yet, she was still attracted to him in a weird, twisted and extremely disgusting way. "Hollywood," she began slowly, stepping towards him, "what happened?"

He gave a grunt as a response.

Amber, oblivious to how Troy looked, slipped off of her stool and collided with Troy's legs. "Troy! Are you going to play with me today?"

Troy looked down and paused. "No. I am certainly not going to play with you today." He stepped out of her small embrace, causing a few tears springing in her eyes and she jumped into Greg's embrace. "In fact, as soon as my shift is over, I'm out of here."

Maria touched his arm. "Troy, you're scaring us."

Troy shrugged. "I'm just here to do my job." He threw a glare, which wasn't unnoticed by Greg and Maria, in Gabriella's direction.

She shrugged. "What'd I do?"

He rolled his eyes. "Oh quit it, will you? Just leave me alone." He stalked out of the kitchen and before Greg or Maria could stop her, Gabriella was speeding after him.

She jumped in front of him, making him stop. She looked into his eyes. "Care to explain to me why the hell you are as sour as a lemon today?"

Troy glared at her. "I'm sour because I'm sick and tired of you playing everyone, even me, like a violin."

Gabriella stepped back and frowned. "Okay, while I try and figure out what that means, I just want to warn you against treating my daughter like that. I don't know what the hell I've done but under no circumstances am I going to watch you break her heart. She adores you." Before Gabriella could really think about it, her hand had collided with his cheek.

Breathing deeply, Troy turned back to her. "Oh, I'll apologise to Amber. I'll apologise to Maria and Greg, too. I will not apologise to you," he hissed.

Gabriella paused. "Will you please tell me what it is I've done wrong?" she asked quietly.

"I can't believe I actually fell for your act. I mean, Sharpay's going to be so heartbroken," Troy growled.

"What has Sharpay got to do with this?" Gabriella asked in exasperation.

"I saw you with Zeke. After you cancelled our 'tea', I wanted to have a drink at The Londesborough and I saw you and Zeke together. How could you do that to your best friend?" Troy demanded.

Troy's words registered to Gabriella and she burst out laughing, throwing her head back, her hair becoming an ocean of chocolate waves. She held a hand to her mouth and her giggles became more rapid when she saw Troy's look of disgust and confusion. She breathed deeply and the giggles finally died down. She held her stomach as she spoke. "You think Zeke and I are together?" she asked.

"I saw you and you both said 'I love you'," he countered.

"We're not together. I needed to talk something through with him. And I'll explain it to you if you'd let me," she murmured.

He shook his head. "I'm not interested in excuses. You know, I'll cook this fucking tea for you but then it's over. I want nothing to do with you."

Gabriella felt a blow to her stomach and she had to force the tears back. "No, Troy. Please. You have to believe me. Zeke is practically family. He's my brother. I knew if I could talk to anyone about this without judgement, I could talk to him. We said 'I love you' the way I say 'I love you' to Carmen. Troy, just listen to me."

Troy shook his head solemnly. "No. I have work. The tea will be tonight. No cancellations. 5PM," he ordered and then headed towards the stables.

Unlike the first day they had met, Gabriella didn't follow him. Instead, she stood there silently, arms folded, sending a silent prayer to God. How did things get to this? When she returned home a few weeks ago, all she wanted was to write this freaking romance novel. And now, while she was asking the guy she thought of as a brother what to do about her new feelings for Troy, the American with a blasted beard had assumed (very wrongly, she might add) that Zeke was having an affair with her. And to top it all off, Gabriella still hadn't solved the pink toothbrush mystery. And with how things looked at the minute, she wasn't going to.

Well, once again, this day was freaking fabulous.

She had to call Sharpay. There was no way she was going to stand back and let Troy ruin her friendship with Sharpay. There was no way Sharpay would believe it considering Zeke was wrapped tightly around her finger and, besides, who would be brave enough to cheat on Sharpay? But Gabriella wanted to warn her. As her friend, she owed Sharpay that much.

* * *

Troy pulled his front door open. He wasn't sure who he expected to be at the door but he wasn't expecting Sharpay and Zeke. Sharpay looked possibly scary. Her arms were folded, she was tapping her foot and the glare she was sending him made him withhold a shiver. He spotted Zeke beside her, an arm around her waist, and carrying a plastic carrier bag.

"Go away," he muttered. "I'm not letting you," he pointed accusingly at Zeke, "in my house."

Sharpay rolled her eyes. Before she made a snappy comeback, she took a deep breath. "Please let us come in. We need to talk."

"No," he protested. Rain bounded in from the back garden and barked happily at the sight of Sharpay and Zeke.

"Look," Sharpay began, "I know what you accused Gabi off. She called me up in tears, afraid that you would tell me first and break us apart. All I have to say is that you're an idiot."

Troy rolled his eyes. "You didn't see them together."

Sharpay pushed herself past Troy and Zeke followed obediently like a lost puppy. She marched into the living room and Troy followed once the door was shut. She turned on him and sighed with frustration. "I knew where Zeke was. Besides, he was in our restaurant. If he was going to cheat on me, don't you think he'd take her outside of Scarborough? I mean, this town is only so big and someone would've told me if they had been together."

Troy was about to respond when her words registered. That hadn't occurred to him at all but it was true. "You're right," he admitted in a whisper. He ran a hand over his face. "I don't know what happened. I was just so mad at the prospect of Gabriella hurting you like that and the thought of her lying to her family and..."

"You?" Sharpay guessed. She sighed and stepped towards him. "Troy, I trust Zeke with my whole heart. I know his relationship with Gabriella seems confusing but they've known each other for so long, everybody has given up trying to figure it out. Gabriella's the reason I'm with Zeke. She convinced me he felt the same. Besides, I don't think Zeke's brave enough to cheat on me," she joked.

Zeke shrugged. "Troy, I've known Gabriella since we were in nursery together and she's my little sister. Man, you hurt her."

"I was wrong?" he asked dumbly, as if he couldn't quite comprehend it. He sat down on his cream leather settee and scratched his beard. "I just hurt so much because of it. I didn't think it through and now I've hurt Ella, too," he mumbled.

Sharpay sat next to him and rested a placating hand on his back. "You were jealous, weren't you?"

Troy nodded reluctantly. "I didn't know at the time. I just thought I was mad because she was, in my mind, hurting you. But it makes sense now." He looked frantically between Zeke and Sharpay but frowned suddenly. "Where's Charlie?"

"With Amber who is with Gabi, having ice cream," Zeke explained calmly. "The only reason she's held it together is because of them." Gabriella's confession to him about her feelings towards Troy was ringing in his ears.

"Okay, so how do I make this right? I didn't mean it when I told her I wanted nothing to do with her," he exclaimed.

"Troy, you have to calm down," Sharpay instructed.

Rain sat by her master and nudged his leg with her nose. He fussed her ears lovingly and took a few deep breaths. "So, how do I make this right?" he repeated.

"Well, she said she's coming around tonight. Is Amber invited?" Sharpay asked.

Troy shrugged. They'd never specified that as part of the deal. "I don't know. I wouldn't mind either way."

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Okay. Well, what are you cooking?"

Troy shrugged. "I was just going to cook some pasta."

Zeke shook his head hurriedly. "No way. No pasta allowed on this date," he exclaimed.

Troy stuttered his reply, "It's a date?"

Sharpay frowned. "Do you want it to be? We kind of assumed that it was a date. Don't you love her?"

Troy was about to protest but paused and shut his mouth. How the hell did he know if he loved her or not? He hadn't had a serious relationship since a year after university and that had been a disaster. Sure, he'd had a fair few girlfriends during his school and college years because of his sporting abilities and status, but they'd been flings. Both he and all of the girls had known that. There hadn't been any flair, passion or electricity between him and any of the past girls.

_But there is with Gabriella_, an inner voice taunted him.

"I don't freaking know," he finally blurted in exasperation.

Zeke nodded slowly. "Okay. Let's try a different approach." He looked to Sharpay for confirmation, seemingly using telepathy with his wife. "Do you want this to be a date?"

Troy sighed and shrugged. "Yes. Okay, I want to go on a date with Ella."

"Right," Zeke nodded. "Now we're getting somewhere. No pasta. How about..."

Troy turned to Sharpay with a quirked eyebrow.

She laughed and shook her head at Troy. "Apparently, the day before our first date, he spent five hours going through different meals and recipes, asking which ones sounded more romantic."

Zeke set the carrier bag on Troy's coffee table and began emptying it of ingredients. "I've already decided that you are making Pupusa."

"Pupu-what-sa?" Troy asked.

Zeke sighed impatiently and set the carrier bag and the remaining contents on the floor. "Stay with me, Troy. You hurt Gabriella and to get her to forgive you, you'll need to show respect for everything she is, especially her nationality."

"But, whenever we've talked, she says that Scarborough is her hometown," Troy exclaimed.

Zeke nodded. "I know. But, she still holds on to her heritage. She still loves everything about El Salvador, especially their national dish which is, of course, Pupusa." He handed Troy a sheet of paper. "That's the recipe. It's pretty straight forward."

Sharpay nudged Troy. "Told you he was good."

"Will I like it?" Troy asked.

"It's delicious," Sharpay answered for her husband. "Maria always forces all of us to go over to the Montez home and we always have this dish around Christmas time. The Montez's aren't too big on the whole turkey thing. So, they have this instead and it is to die for."

Troy nodded. "Okay," he said slowly. "And it's Pupusa, national dish of El Salvador."

Zeke smiled. "That's right. What about drinks?"

"Well, I asked if she preferred beer or wine and she told me to surprise her," Troy explained.

"What were you going to go with?" Sharpay asked.

"Wine," Troy answered. "I mean, I knew she would only be able to have one or two glasses because she's driving here."

"Which wine?" Zeke asked.

"I bought a bottle of Lambrini," Troy explained, pointing to the kitchen. At the movement of his hands, Rain grumbled in protest and trotted away towards the back garden.

Zeke scoffed. "Hardly." He reached into the carrier bag and set a bottle of red wine on the coffee table, next to the other ingredients. "This is Merlot, Gabriella's favourite. I promise."

Troy rubbed his forehead. "Okay," he said slowly. "How can I repay you guys for all of this?"

"Get Gabriella to be your girlfriend," Sharpay exclaimed.

Troy nodded frantically. "Okay, okay, I'll try. But, even before all of this happened, she's been really mad at me ever since our one-on-one and I don't know why." He suddenly looked at Zeke. "You know," he realised.

Zeke shrugged uncomfortably. "Okay, fine, she told me. I'm not telling you, though," he warned.

Troy smiled. "Understandable. What about clothes?"

Sharpay shrugged. "What were you planning on wearing?"

"Um, a plaid shirt and jeans?" It was meant to be a statement but Sharpay's scrutinising gaze made it come out as a question.

"Wrong," Sharpay exclaimed. "Do you have any plain white or blue button up shirts?"

Troy shrugged. "Sure."

"You'll wear one of those. Is it dark or light blue?"

"Light blue," he replied.

"Wear that one. It'll match your eyes. Any faded _smart_ jeans?" Sharpay asked.

Troy nodded. "Sure."

"That'll do. Now, if you want Gabriella to be your girlfriend, you'll have to shave," Sharpay said.

Troy faltered. "Shave?" he whispered. "I haven't shaved in..." He trailed off, muttering to himself as he worked out the last time he'd shaved.

Sharpay shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Gabi hates beards. Therefore, the beard goes."

Zeke rummaged through the carrier and produced a disposable razor and shaving foam. "Here you go."

Troy frowned. "What? You think I don't own a razor and shaving foam?"

"Do you?" Sharpay asked, quirking a blonde eyebrow.

Troy held her gaze before shaking his head. "No, I don't. So, I shave, wear blue shirt, faded, smart jeans, cook Pupusa and beg for her forgiveness, right?"

Sharpay nodded. "Yeah. And we're on the end of the phone if things go wrong. They won't," she assured him. "She'll forgive you, I promise."

"How can you be so sure?" Troy asked quietly.

Zeke sat down on the other side of Troy. "Troy, I've known Gabi since I was three. She's never held a grudge. All you have to do is grab an opportunity to explain to her. Trust us, things will get better."

Troy sighed. "I really hope so."


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N: I hope you like this chapter. I enjoyed writing it :)**

**Don't own HSM

* * *

**

Chapter 10

Gabriella knocked on Troy's front door but then stepped back. She threw a wistful glance over her shoulder at her child-friendly grey Ford Focus. It offered her safety and security and the choice whether to go home or not. Before she could make that choice, the door opened. She turned back and felt Amber disappear from her side and jump into Troy's awaiting arms. Gabriella honestly couldn't breathe. He looked...um...she didn't know. She couldn't describe him.

He'd shaved.

And, boy, what a difference that made. She could see the definite cheekbones which she imagined had been more rounded during childhood. His jaw and chin looked strong and defined and she wanted to know what they felt like; she had to stop herself from reaching out and running a finger across them. And his lips...they looked so soft and perfect. His hair looked almost tame. It still fell naturally in front of his eyes, making him shake his head every so often. It looked clean and brushed. He wore a pale blue button up shirt exceedingly well. She was so accustomed to see him in either a plaid shirt or just, well, shirtless that it was a shock to see him in something so smart. It still boasted his defined chest and part of her was thankful for that. It was freshly washed and ironed and Gabriella wouldn't be surprised if Troy had just put it on when he heard the doorbell ring. A pair of faded blue jeans hung snugly on Troy's strong hips and Gabriella inhaled sharply. His hips were slim and ever so muscular.

She tugged nervously at her white spaghetti strap dress. It was simple and didn't flaunt her body at all. There was a thin strip of white ribbon tied just under her breasts and then it flowed to just above her knees. She hadn't really known what to wear but had finally decided on this dress because, well, it could either be dressed up or dressed down depending on the occasion. But, the dress combined with her white ballet flats and her white cotton cardigan, it was definitely dressed down and she felt considerably under dressed compared to Troy.

Amber, on the other hand, was dressed in a pretty pink pinafore over a white t-shirt and she didn't have a care in the world. Troy was throwing her playfully up into the air and catching her as she fell. Her blonde curls blew around wildly and her giggles of delight filled the air. Troy set her down on the floor and suddenly turned on Gabriella.

"Hi," she whispered. She swallowed the lump in her throat, trying desperately not to cry.

"Hi," Troy said steadily. "Can I talk to you?"

"Will you yell at me?" she asked timidly, gripping the strap of her bag tightly.

He smiled and shook his head. "No. I just want to talk, I promise I won't raise my voice."

Gabriella nodded. "Do you have any kids' films Amber can watch?"

"I have _The Lion King_. Is that okay?" Troy asked.

"That's perfect," Gabriella replied. She stepped timidly into his house and followed Troy and Amber into the lounge. She stood there nervously and watched Troy, or rather Troy's muscles flexing, as he placed a DVD in the player so that Amber was occupied while they talked. His shirt had ridden up as he bent down and she could see the top of some white boxers. Wow. Maybe looking rough and messy was just an occupational hazard for him.

Rain bounded in from the back garden and paused to look pleadingly into Gabriella's eyes. Unsure what she wanted, she rubbed the dog's head. Satisfied by Gabriella's attention, she trotted happily over to Amber. Rain lay down for the little girl, allowing her little hands to tug on her ears and fur.

Troy stood up once the film had started and turned to Amber. Instead of using the patronising tone so many adults used with Amber, he spoke to her as if he'd known her since she was born. "My little gem, the movie is playing, Rain will take good care of you and if you need anything, we'll just be in the kitchen." He stepped towards Gabriella and hesitated for just a moment before he took her hand and led her into the kitchen.

Gabriella let her hand slip out of his and placed her bag on the island counter. The kitchen was made up mostly of beautifully polished granite surfaces with matching cupboards. It was spacious and large and Gabriella fell in love with it. As she wandered around the island counter in wonder, she murmured absentmindedly, "So, what did you want to talk about?"

Troy stepped in front of her and gripped her arms. The touch sent Gabriella's blood rate up into the heavens. "Ella," he began and then sighed. "I'm sorry."

Gabriella frowned. "What?"

Troy sighed again and stepped away from her, leaning against the wall opposite her. "I'm sorry. I was wrong to accuse you of doing that with Zeke. I didn't think it through but I was upset that you cancelled on me and then I saw you with another guy, Zeke or not, and that hurt me so much."

Gabriella shrugged her cardigan off and set it next to her bag on the island counter. "Why would that hurt you?"

"I was jealous," he mumbled. "I'm not proud of it and I really wish that I wasn't jealous of the prospect of some other guy being with you in _that way_ because, I mean, this is you. But, I couldn't help it."

"Troy, I'm not sure what you expect me to say to that," she whispered.

He shrugged and went to scratch at his beard but stopped when he only found skin. The action made Gabriella smile. "I don't expect you to say anything." He paused. "Can I ask you something?"

Gabriella nodded.

"You were mad at me just before our one-on-one game and you have been ever since. Why?" he asked.

Gabriella paused and couldn't help letting tears begin to spill from her eyes. "You warned me about playing everybody like a violin when you accused me of having an affair but what about you, huh?"

Troy just stood there, letting her get it all in the open. They were both angry about too many things and it was time for it all to be out in the open.

"On the day of the game, I used your bathroom and I saw a damn pink toothbrush in there. I'll admit it. I was jealous. I was jealous at the sheer thought of you being with another woman like that. But it hurt me because you obviously didn't tell my family or they would've told me. Why the hell would you keep something like that from me? Who is she?" Gabriella cried. "And it hurt even more because I think that I sorta, kinda like you as more than friends and it's not fair." She slid into the corner of the kitchen and brought her knees up to her chest.

Troy walked over and knelt in front of her. He gripped her hands in his and looked into her eyes. "That toothbrush isn't my girlfriend's, my wife's, partner's, ex-wife's... It doesn't belong to a woman in that sense."

Gabriella sniffed, knowing he was telling the truth. "Whose is it?"

Troy sat next to her, leaning against a cupboard door. He kept his hand in hers. "Can I tell you the whole story?"

Gabriella nodded. "Yeah."

Troy took a deep breath. "I went to university in Bristol and got a degree in equestrian studies. After I graduated, I moved up to the Lake District and worked at a horse rescue centre." He ran a hand through his hair and looked down on Gabriella. "Five years ago, I had to quit my job because my mom," he noticed her smile at the use of the American term, "had a stroke. Do you know anything about strokes?"

Gabriella shook her head. "My grandparents, all of them, have a lot of things. Arthritis, diabetes, cancer...but no strokes."

"Well, um, it hurt me. My mom lost her speech and her use of her right hand. I moved back here and bought this place. At the time, she wasn't bad enough to need care or go in a home so my dad and me took turns caring for her. I didn't have a job because caring for her was a full time occupation. While my dad went to work, my mom would stay here. Hence the toothbrush. About three years ago, just after you left, probably, my mom had another stroke. It was worse than last time. She had to be put in a home then. In the one on Queen Margaret's road. So, I could get a job then at your dad's place. I mean, my mom hasn't been here since then. But, I just couldn't get rid of her toothbrush."

"Wow," Gabriella murmured. "I hate to sound insensitive but I have to clear this up: so, you're single?"

Troy smiled. "Completely unattached." He stood up and offered his hand to her. She accepted and he pulled her up. He smiled at her. "So we're okay now? You're not mad?"

She shook her head. "No. You?"

"No," he murmured.

"I kinda figured that you were losing or had lost somebody," she admitted.

Troy nodded. "It's hard but that's life." He paused. "Let me just check on our food. It should be done soon."

"What are we having?" Gabriella asked.

Troy got some oven gloves on and opened the oven door. He inspected the food before he shut it again, setting the oven gloves on the counter. "Pupus," he said softly as he turned to her. "I've never made it before so this might be horrible. But, I heard that it's the national dish of El Salvador. Is that right?"

Gabriella smiled and nodded.

"And do you like it?" he asked worriedly.

She laughed and nodded. "I love it."

"Great. It should be done in a few minutes," he said softly.

* * *

Once Gabriella's plate was clear, she placed her knife and fork together and then wiped her mouth with her napkin. She turned to her left where Troy was sat. "That was amazing," she praised.

"I'm glad you liked it, considering I really had no idea what I was doing," he chuckled.

Gabriella sipped her Merlot and smiled coyly across at him. "Well, my mum would be very proud."

Amber finished her milk off and then pushed her plate away. "Sorry that I couldn't finish it, Troy. There was too much."

He chuckled. "It's fine. As long as you enjoyed it." He gestured with his head to the living room. "Do you want to go and play with Rain?"

She nodded and slid off of the island stool. "Thank you, Troy." She skipped happily into the living room and her shrieks and giggles floated through to them a moment later.

"You're so good to her," Gabriella finally murmured as she and Troy sat there, drinking their wine.

Troy shrugged. "I guess that because of my mom and caring for her, meeting women has taken a back seat and I've sort of forgotten how to do it. So, I'm trying to be good to Amber because all I ever wanted was a little girl."

Gabriella smiled. "Well, I think you managed to meet me just fine, Hollywood," she murmured.

He nodded and sipped his wine. "Thank you. You know that just because we admitted we were jealous, I'm not going to start being nice to you."

Gabriella grinned. "Good. I wouldn't want you to."

Troy gathered their dishes together and placed them in the dishwasher. Amber's leftovers were set on the counter with a tea towel over the top. "Shall we go through?" he gestured to the living room.

Gabriella nodded and smiled when he took her hand, leading her through. "Why do you have a piano?" she asked, pointing to the piano in the corner where many people would've put a TV. The TV was in the corner closest to the archway leading to the kitchen.

He shrugged. "I'd rather play the piano than melt my brain by watching TV. I only watch it on very odd occasions."

"Play something for me," she murmured.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know, Ella."

"Please?" She looked up at him with her wide, innocent eyes.

Troy sighed and sat down on the piano stool. He patted the spot next to him and Gabriella sat beside him. Amber stood next to Gabriella and she leant against her mother. "Alright, I will." He placed his fingers in the correct position and let his hands dance across the ivory keys. A beautiful melody filled the room. It was slow and peaceful, filling Gabriella with a beautiful sensation.

He seemed to become a different person. Never had she imagined Troy to be a musician. When he was with the horses, it was like he belonged with them more than people. And now, he was revealing another side of him to her. He kept giving her glances and smiles, being able to play the song without looking at the piano at all. No sheet music was involved; he was playing it entirely from memory. He was focussed and was getting lost in the music. Gabriella kept trying to identify the tune. At first, she thought it might be something by Chopin but she knew all of his pieces and this wasn't one of them.

Troy finally brought the song to an end and turned to Gabriella and Amber. "What did you think?"

"What is that? What's it called?" Gabriella asked.

He shrugged. "I haven't named it yet."

"You wrote it?" Gabriella gasped.

He shrugged. "Yeah."

"Will you teach me, Troy?" Amber asked sweetly.

Troy smiled and reached across Gabriella to lift Amber onto his lap. "Press this key," he said.

Gabriella watched Troy curiously as he patiently taught Amber how to play 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star'. Yes, she wanted to be with him a lot more than she originally thought.

* * *

"She's asleep," Gabriella murmured when she walked into the kitchen to see Troy making some coffee.

"Do you want to put her in the guest room for a while? You don't have to go just yet. First door on the right," Troy offered.

Gabriella smiled and nodded. "Okay. I'll be back in a minute." She came back downstairs a few minutes later and took the coffee gratefully from Troy. "Thank you," she whispered.

Troy sipped his own cup and stared down on her curiously. "Do you want to play some pool? I have a pool table."

She raised her eyebrows. "You do?"

Troy smiled and took her free hand, leading her down the hall. He turned into the room she supposed could've been used as a study. The pool table took up the whole room, leaving room for just a few shelves which had a few ornaments on them. Troy set his cup on a nearby shelf and began setting the balls up correctly. "Have you played before?"

Gabriella set her cup next to his and shrugged. "A couple of years ago but I wasn't very good. I'll need some help."

Troy took a pool cue and bent over the table to make the first break, not pocketing a single ball. "That's fine." He handed her the pool cue and gestured for her to get into position. Troy leaned over her and placed his hands over hers. "We're aiming for that red, okay? You pull it back gently and then push back smoothly," he murmured, letting his breath tickle her ear. His chest was pressed against her back and she could feel the wonderful heat emanating from his body. He helped her pull the pool cue back and then pushed it through, pocketing the desired red ball.

He stepped back and smiled at her. "Try the next one by yourself. Aim for that red ball by the middle pocket." He took a sip of his coffee.

Gabriella analysed the table. Troy was right. But that would be an easy shot. However, she could always aim to get two balls at the same time. She smiled to herself and made the shot cleanly in one fluid motion, pocketing the desired two balls. She leant back and turned to smile proudly at Troy. "That was the best shot available there."

Troy dropped his jaw. "You hustled me," he accused.

She shrugged. "Maybe." She leant back against the pool table so that she faced him. Before either could fully comprehend it, Troy held her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers. Gabriella dropped the pool cue to the floor and wrapped her arms tightly around him. She was pushed against the pool table and could feel his body against hers. Their lips moved slowly together as if they had all of the time in the world. Which they did, really. The kiss felt indescribable and Gabriella knew that no matter how hard she tried, she wouldn't be able to capture it accurately in words. No tongues were used. It was too soon for that. But the kiss felt honestly heavenly. Nobody had ever kissed her like that and she never wanted it to end.

Troy pulled back and breathed deeply as he looked down on her. She reached up silently and ran her fingers along his jaw line. They shared a smile before Troy brought her easily into his strong embrace.

* * *

"What's your favourite colour?" Gabriella asked. After the game of pool had ended (with Gabriella having the victory), they found themselves lying together on the settee.

He chuckled. "Um, I would say brown."

Gabriella pulled a face at him. "That's disgusting. I think brown, I think poo."

"I think brown, I think your eyes," he whispered.

"Smooth," Gabriella complimented.

He chuckled and tightened his arms around her. "I try to be."

"Thank you for shaving," she mumbled.

He smiled down at her. "Sharpay persuaded me. She said if I truly wanted you, it had to go."

"It's true. Beards are awful," she whined. "It's not funny," she complained.

He smiled and kissed her lips tenderly. "Well, I'll never have a beard again, I promise."

"Good," she mumbled. In the comfortable silence that followed, she occupied herself by running her fingers up and down his muscular arm. It amused Troy to see that such a simple action could keep her interested like that.

"Can I ask you something?" Troy murmured, twirling a lock of her hair around his finger.

"Sure," she whispered.

"How can you be so clumsy and be so good at ballet? I mean, you can't even run properly," he laughed.

Gabriella blushed deeply and shrugged. "I practice ballet routines so many times that I can do them blindfolded. It becomes second nature. Running, however," she paused to shudder dramatically, "is just plain awful for me."

Troy chuckled. "Well, okay then. You were really good at ballet," he murmured seriously.

"Thank you," she whispered. "It's because of my mum that I love it so much. She took me to my first lesson ever."

Troy paused and then turned to her. "Do you want to listen to some music?"

Gabriella smiled. "What have you got?"

Troy pushed them both up and he walked towards the cupboard that the TV was resting on. He pulled the doors open to reveal a small CD player with a pile of CDs next to it. There were only six or so. He handed the CDs to her. "I'm not sure if there's anything there you'll like."

Gabriella dropped down to her knees so that she was near him. He rested a hand on her back and she snuggled into his embrace. "Hollywood, you like Frank Sinatra?" she asked in shock.

"Yeah, he's one of my many idols," he explained. "Why?"

"Because, although he's good, Elvis is better," Gabriella complained, holding up an Elvis CD.

Troy rolled his eyes. "You can't be serious in comparing Elvis to Frank Sinatra!"

"Well, I am!" she protested. "Elvis is a classic American singer. He sang some of the most popular songs ever."

Troy grumbled to himself. "Frank was one of the greatest swing singers that ever walked the planet. Where would we be without 'Come fly with me'?"

"I admit it's a great song but what about Elvis' rock 'n' roll songs, his ballads, his love songs?" she argued.

Troy sighed and placed his CDs back except for an Elvis CD. "If I put this darn thing on, will you shut up about him?"

She smiled and nodded. "Probably."

Troy placed the CD in the slot and gave the case to Gabriella. "Which track do you want? What's your favourite?"

Gabriella immediately handed the case back to him. "'Can't help falling in love with you'. It's my all-time favourite. I just love everything about it."

Troy got the song playing and Elvis' slow guitar intro filled the room. Rain was lying by herself in the corner, obviously exhausted because of Amber's playing. Troy sighed. "I can't believe I'm putting Elvis on." He stood up and held his hand out expectantly to Gabriella.

She allowed him to pull her up and before she could comprehend Troy's actions, she was in his arms and they were swaying together. "If you don't like Elvis, why do you have a CD of his?"

"It's my dad's," he mumbled. "My dad quite often comes into my house and messes with my CD collection."

Gabriella smiled and pulled herself closer to him, pressing her cheek to his chest. Elvis' smooth voice floated around them and it was like they were in their own little cocoon of bliss. "Can I tell you something?" she muttered into his shoulder.

"Of course," Troy whispered.

Gabriella swallowed hard and spoke tightly around the lump that had formed in her throat. "You know how I kept correcting you when you called me Ella, saying that my name is Gabriella?"

Troy lifted her head when he heard the change in her voice. He looked deeply into her teary eyes. "Yeah," he murmured. "What about it?"

A tear leaked from her left eye. "It wasn't just annoying. The thing is, I'm telling you this because I feel that you need to know." She paused and they continued to sway together. She closed her eyes as Troy tightened his arms around her and kissed her forehead. She opened her eyes again and drew a deep breath. "My grandpa used to call me Ella. Only he ever did and nobody's been brave enough to call me it since he died."

Troy frowned. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Gabriella shrugged. "I didn't want you to think I was a basket case."

"So what changed?" Troy asked.

"You've seen me freak out twice and you already know the story behind my grandpa so I figured that I couldn't be more of a basket case than that. Besides, I really do want to be with you and I thought you sort of needed to know the back story," she explained.

"I won't call you it again," he promised.

She shook her head frantically. "No. I like it. It was just a shock at first. No, I want you to call me Ella."

Troy smiled and nodded. "Alright then, Ella." He leaned down to kiss her cheek and then released her, spinning her around. He brought her back to his body and dipped her down before he brought her back up. He chuckled at her shocked expression. "What?"

"You can dance but you can't do ballet," she whispered in amazement.

"Ballet is not dancing," he protested. "It's a sport." He smiled down at her charmingly.

She giggled and brought him down to her height so that she could kiss him.

* * *

**A/N: When Troy explains about Lucille, I think it's important for you all to know that strokes have greatly effected my life. Writing that part and thinking up that part of the plot was very natural. It flowed and everything that Troy explained about Lucille's health has been true to me.**

**Um, atm, my life has been a bit crazy. I'm in the middle of chapter 19 right now. I've gone back to school and atm, my dad is in hospital. :( Hopefully he'll be home on Friday. Please pray for him. I miss having him here. I'm in the middle of writing a poem/lyrics and I'll post it on my twitter/facebook page.**

**Until next week...  
**


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N: Sorry that it's late. I hope you like it :)

* * *

**

Chapter 11

"Ella," Troy greeted as he walked into the Montez kitchen.

Gabriella kept her eyes locked on her laptop screen and continued tapping away at the keyboard. She was alone in the kitchen and her mouth twitched up in a smile. She looked to her right where her notebook was spread open, but she never even looked up at him. She knew that if she so much as glanced in his directions, the wonderful warm feelings from the previous night would spread through her body like wildfire. She shifted on the island stool and felt the strap of her floral summer dress fall away from her shoulder.

A moment later, she felt Troy stand behind her and slowly push her strap into its original position. His hand felt like fire against her skin. "Ella," he whispered in her ear as he leaned down to kiss her cheek. He wrapped his arms around her from behind. "Why are you ignoring me? You trying to pretend that last night never happened?"

Gabriella sighed and shut her laptop and notebook. She slid off of the island stool and twisted out of his arms, stepping backwards, away from him. A teasing smile graced her face as her back collided with the fridge. "I was writing. I wrote an entire chapter last night and now I'm working on chapter five. It seems that I have some inspiration now."

Troy, who was still clean shaven, smirked at her and stepped forward until his hands rested on the fridge either side of her head. "Really?"

She nodded and smiled up at him. "Yeah. I'm glad to see the skin of your face now, Hollywood. I mean, you're still annoying and conceited but you look better."

Troy grinned down at her. "It's strange to think that I'm attracted to such a bitter, clumsy woman." He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. Her hands rested lightly on his neck, holding him in place. When he finally pulled back, he looked around, shocked that they hadn't been interrupted. "Where is everybody?"

"I don't know," she whispered. "I don't really care. I think Papi took Amber to the stables. Carmen went out with Ryan and Mami went into town." She ran her hands over his chest. "Complaining?"

"Hell no," he murmured. "Have you told them about us?"

Her smiled slipped from her face. "No. I wanted to. Kinda. I mean, Hollywood, my dad is..."

"You're daddy's little girl, right?" he asked.

Gabriella nodded. "Yeah. I know he likes you now but put you and me together in _this _way," she gestured to the small gap between them, "and he'll hate you. Besides, it was kind of late when I came home and I came here this morning to find everyone disappearing."

"You're going to tell him, though, right?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shrugged. "Of course I will. The first opportunity I get."

Troy sighed. "I have to go to work." He dropped a kiss to her lips and stepped away from her to go towards the door.

Gabriella just noticed then that he was back to his usual plaid shirt. Of course. A smile tugged at her lips. She stepped closer to him. "You don't have to. I could help."

He raised his eyebrows. "Because that's not obvious at all," he said sarcastically. "Greg, your Papi, will know something is up."

She shrugged. "We could tell him and that way we get to spend time together."

Troy shook his head. "No way, no how. Look, despite how you irritate me every day, for one reason or another, I want to be with you. But, I am not letting you upset my work. I love my job and I'm not going to let anything, especially you, upset that."

Gabriella frowned. "So your job is more important than us?"

"You know I didn't mean that," Troy argued.

"Then what the hell did you mean?" Gabriella yelled.

Troy was about to respond when Amber and Greg wandered in. "What's going on here?" Greg asked cautiously.

Gabriella was about to answer when Troy beat her to it. "Nothing. Nothing's going on here. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have horses to groom." As he turned to leave the house Troy winked at Gabriella.

Unsure if what she was reading from the wink was true or not, she threw caution to the wind. She gathered her notebook and laptop up. "I have a novel to write. Will you be okay with Grandpa, mi hija?"

Amber nodded excitedly. "Sure, I will, Mummy."

Gabriella smiled and kissed her forehead and then Greg's cheek. "I'll see you both later." Once out of the kitchen, Gabriella hurried over towards the students' stables. Once in there, she set her stuff on a nearby hay bale and looked around for Troy. "Hollywood," she called quietly.

He came out from between the horses where he had obviously been grooming them. He smiled at her and welcomed her in his arms and spun her around. He set her on the ground and shook his head in dismay. "Ella, you have to think this through. If I start bunking work to be with you, can you imagine how that would look?"

That made Gabriella pause. "I never thought of it like that. But, hold on a second." She suddenly grinned up at him, her hands hanging loosely around his waist. "You had the perfect opportunity to tell him and you didn't."

Troy shrugged uncomfortably. "I'm not going to tell him if you're not ready."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "You were scared."

"Hmmmm," he mumbled as he bent down to kiss her. "What are your plans for the day?"

"Nothing involving you," she murmured. She shrugged. "Write. Like I said," she whispered as he leaned closer, "inspiration." Her lips touched his and he pulled her flush against his body.

He pulled back and sighed as he heard a car pull up. He gestured with his head to the outside. "Now get out of here."

She smiled and kissed him one last time. "I'll see you later. You're not getting away that easily. I'll be around the house at lunch."

* * *

A long extension cord led from the house to Gabriella's laptop which was set on the table beside a white plastic lounge chair. Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' was blaring loudly and Gabriella was singing, very loudly and very out of tune, and dancing, very badly and very clumsily, around the kitchen while she made herself a sausage sandwich. She shut the oven off and smiled proudly at her greasy and very unhealthy concoction. She took it outside along with a glass of water and sat down in her lounger. She took a long gulp of the ice-cold water and then placed some sunglasses over her eyes. She lifted the sandwich to her mouth but before she could take a bite, a voice stopped her.

"That was you?" Troy exclaimed.

Gabriella set her sandwich down and sighed. She looked up at him. "What was me?"

Troy lifted her feet and sat down on the foot rest part of the chair, letting her feet rest in his lap. "That was you singing?" he said incredulously.

Gabriella pushed her sunglasses down her nose so that she could see Troy without the discolouring of the glasses. She could tell he was off his shift. He had taken his shirt off, revealing his tanned muscles. She replaced her sunglasses over her eyes. "Yes it was," she admitted.

"It sounded like a dog howling at the moon," he complained.

She shrugged. "Oh well." She lifted the sandwich to her mouth again.

"Wow. That looks really nice," Troy said not-so-subtly.

Gabriella sighed again and handed the plate (and the sandwich) over to him. "There you go," she said glumly.

"I'll only have half, okay?" he compromised.

Gabriella smiled and nodded. "Thank you. How was your shift?"

"Alright until you started singing," he teased.

Gabriella reached over and turned the music down. "It's extremely difficult to play Queen and not sing along."

"Status Quo," Troy muttered through a mouthful of the sausage sandwich.

Gabriella frowned at him. "What?"

Troy swallowed and turned to her. "The Quo are way better than Queen."

Gabriella shook her head and sat back to relax in the sun. "No way, José. Nothing can beat Queen."

As promised, Troy only ate half of the sandwich. He placed the rest of it on the table, next to her laptop. He ran his hand up and down her smooth legs, never going beneath the hem of her dress. He could feel the strength in her ankles and calves from her ballet and horse riding training. He felt that her left ankle, the one she had needed a bandage support for, was slightly weaker than her right. "I suppose we'll never agree on music tastes."

Gabriella smiled over at him. "And why agree all of the time and be boring?"

Troy nodded with a grin. "Exactly. When will you tell Greg?"

She looked to her left and laughed to herself. "Who are we kidding, Hollywood? He already knows."

Troy leapt up and faced Greg. "Hi Greg," he said cautiously.

Greg stepped forward and eyed Gabriella, who was happily eating the rest of her sandwich, suspiciously. "Hi," he said slowly. "Care to tell me what's going on?"

"Well, Greg," Troy stuttered.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Don't be so freaking nervous," she snapped through a mouthful of her sandwich.

Troy frowned. "Don't be so freaking disgusting."

Greg quirked an eyebrow. "You're with my daughter?"

Troy shrugged uncomfortably. "More or less."

Gabriella set her empty plate aside and stood up. "How can you be more or less with me? It's one or the other." She shook her head in dismay. "Let me handle this." She shrugged at Greg. "I really want this. Although we don't agree on anything at all, he makes me feel different than anybody else does. And he's not afraid to say what he thinks. And after years of people constantly saying 'I love your book', it's refreshing. Papi?"

Greg frowned. "What about Amber?"

"Greg, Amber is special to me and if Ella gives me the chance, I'd love to treat her as my own," Troy said sincerely.

"What did you cook last night?" Greg asked.

"Pupus," he replied. "Zeke said it's the national dish of your country." He shrugged. "If I want Gabriella to be with me, I felt I had to honour her heritage because, after all, it's who she is."

Greg stared at him thoughtfully as Troy slowly wrapped his arm around Gabriella's shoulders. "Huh. I'm struggling to find a reason to hate you. Does your mother know?"

Gabriella shook her head. "I wanted you to be the first for obvious reasons. Where's Amber?"

Greg gestured to the barn where Toy and Gabriella kept meeting. "Over there, asleep. Don't worry, I just want to make myself a sandwich and then I'll go back over there. This talk isn't over," Greg warned Troy as he wandered into the house.

Gabriella folded her arms and turned to Troy with a raised eyebrow. "You are so brave," she said sarcastically as she hit his arm.

Troy rolled his eyes. "Well, Ella, you turned round to me, not so long ago, and said that my boss, who has loved me since I started working here, would hate me simply because I'm with you," he argued.

Gabriella shrugged. "I never asked you to be with me."

"You weren't exactly protesting when I took you in my arms and kissed you," he shot back.

"Hey, I warned you about my dad. What else did you want me to do?" She folded her arms and raised an eyebrow.

Troy threw his hands up in exasperation. "I don't know."

Gabriella glared at him. "Oh, shut up, will you?"

"Gladly," he murmured as he pulled her to his body and kissed her. Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling them closer together.

"Well, I never thought I'd see that in a million years," a voice joked.

Troy and Gabriella pulled back and Troy burst out laughing at the sight of Carmen and Maria stood there, both laden with shopping bags. Gabriella turned in Troy's arms so that his hands were resting on her tummy. She felt the heat rise in her neck from being caught. "Hey, Mami, Carmen. I thought you were with Ryan?"

Carmen shrugged. "I met up with Mum in town. I don't need to ask what you were doing while I was gone."

"Mami?" Gabriella asked.

Maria dropped her shopping bags and embraced Gabriella and Troy at the same time, kissing both of their cheeks. She ignored their persistent protests. "Oh, my baby," she cried. She turned to Troy. "You take good care of her."

Carmen suddenly pulled Maria away. "Leave them alone, Mum. Come on." She began picking the bags up and then turned to Troy and Gabriella. "You can thank me later."

Gabriella turned back to Troy. "My family isn't that scary. You know them."

He shrugged. "I know. But, I'm stepping into unchartered territory at the minute. I didn't know how they'd react."

Gabriella rolled her eyes and sighed. "Well, you're stuck with me now."

Troy smiled. "Hmmmmm," he murmured. "I guess I am."

* * *

Gabriella held her mobile between her ear and shoulder as she kept typing away on her laptop. Maria looked on in amazement. If multitasking ever featured in the Olympics, Gabriella would win the gold, hands down. Her thick hair had been tamed into a messy ponytail and it brushed the base of her neck.

"No, I'm working on chapter five...No troubles whatsoever, she's settled in really well...I'm not sure when it'll be finished, to be honest. But, things seem to be going smoothly so far...I know but this is different and you know it...The title is a work in progress. You know how I work, I think of the title once it's printed out...No, there's no need to come all of the way up here, I'll call you when I'm about halfway through..." Gabriella suddenly let out a loud laugh. "Well, it may shock you to know that I can get a guy's attention. It may be weird and everything but we're sort of together...Oh, Amber adores him...Yes, definitely. I'll talk to you soon. Love you, girl." Gabriella hung up her phone and set it to the side. Before she resumed her typing, she looked up at Maria. "What?"

Maria shook her head to herself as she turned back to the local paper. "I never said anything."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Janey was checking up on me."

Maria nodded. "I know she was. I was admiring how you manage to talk on the phone and write a novel at the same time."

"Years of practice," she murmured. "I managed to write during my lessons in secondary school and I got out with all As and A stars."

"I really wish you wouldn't make me think that your education was a waste of time. Besides, you got one B," Maria protested.

"In maths," Gabriella muttered. "And except for adding up when I'm shopping, I've never used geometry or algebra or any of that stuff."

Maria rolled her eyes. "Your grandpa would be really proud, you know. And he'd love Troy, if only because he tears you away from books and your laptop for about two seconds."

Gabriella smiled and left her hands poised above the keyboard. "I think Troy needs to meet him, Mami. I know what Troy and I have is different to what you and Papi have but I really care about him. I feel like nothing could possibly go wrong because he's with me."

Maria sighed. "I don't see how that's much different to your father's and my marriage. Although we don't argue like you and Troy do, I still feel like everything will be okay because I have your father, and now you and Carmen. As long as you treat each other right, nobody will complain. It's none of their business."

Gabriella was about to reply when her mobile buzzed on the counter, showing Sharpay's name. She rolled her eyes and pressed 'answer', being greeted by the yells and shouts of variations of 'congratulations'. "Carmen," she muttered under her breath, figuring that her younger sister must've told the whole town about her new relationship. "Hey, Shar, yes, I want to keep my hearing. Shut up!"

"Shut up!" Sharpay yelled at everybody on the other end. "When did you and Troy get your acts together?"

"Last night. That Pupus won me over. Not to mention we resolved the whole pink toothbrush slash Zeke affair out. And it just happened. And, before you ask, we still argue. Nothing will change that," Gabriella explained. She settled her phone back between her ear and shoulder and resumed her typing. She glanced at Maria as she stood up and took her paper outside.

"So, you're together? Has Greg done the whole protection thing?" Sharpay asked.

"You know it," Gabriella laughed. "And I'll warn Troy about Zeke and the rest of the guys."

Troy strolled in, his shirt in his hand and he smiled warmly at her. He set his shirt on the island and then wrapped his arms around her from behind. Kissing her cheek, he murmured, "Who is it?"

She twisted to him and mouthed, "Sharpay."

"Hey, Sharpay," Troy greeted.

"Oh, hi, Troy," Sharpay replied.

Troy chuckled. "Don't go interrogating her."

"Already done." The blonde's grin was practically audible. "I'll leave you two alone. Hey, why don't we have a play-date for Charlie and Amber? We could go to Pizza Hut. Amber and Charlie will be happy and you guys can hang out with me and Zeke."

"Zeke and me," Gabriella corrected absentmindedly as she paused her typing and twisted to look at Troy.

He shrugged. "I'm up for it. Just let me have you to myself for a few days."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Sure. In a few days?"

Sharpay laughed. "Now, I'll need the details of those few days," she joked. "I'll see you guys later."

Gabriella hung up and set her phone aside. She immediately turned back to her laptop. "Not one word. Let me finish this chapter."

Troy held his hands up and wandered around the kitchen to get a glass of water. By the time he was by her side again, she had shut her laptop. "Can I speak now?"

She smiled and nodded. "I needed to write it down before I forgot."

Troy sat on the stool next to her, setting his drink on the island counter. He rested a hand on her back and kissed her cheek in greeting. "You okay?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yeah. You?"

He rubbed her back gently for no other reason than to touch her. "Good. My students were all well behaved today. Which is a miracle. There's always one bratty kid that throws a tantrum when I tell them to move their thighs more."

"Don't be so mean," she murmured. "You were a kid once."

"Not a bratty one," he protested.

"Oh, I don't know. When we first met, you sounded like a bratty man, let alone kid," she teased but leaned over to touch his cheek and kiss him.

He frowned as he pulled back. "What about you? 'I can fire you so mind who you're dealing with.'" He mimicked her voice.

She glared. "I was having a bad day and to make it worse, I met you."

"And now you're dating me. How wonderful for you," he mumbled sarcastically.

Gabriella smiled and leaned closer. "It is wonderful for me," she whispered. She suddenly leant back and rested a hand on his knee. "So my agent called. You'd love her."

Troy nodded and took a mouthful of his water. "I'm sure I would. So what'd she want?"

Gabriella shrugged. "She just wanted a general update. She wanted to know about the novel and Amber. I told her about you and she thought I was joking."

Troy frowned. "Why would she think you were joking?"

Gabriella blushed and looked away from him. "It's been a while."

Troy shuffled closer to her. "Define 'a while.'"

She shrugged uncomfortably. "I don't know." She sighed. "Alright, Hollywood, Janey, my agent, has never seen me in a relationship before. Do the maths."

Troy paused. "Over five years. So, your last relationship, you were about twenty-four?"

"About then," she confirmed.

"What happened to make you go so long without someone?" he asked quietly.

"I was signed to the agency." She shrugged. "They accepted me, found me a publisher but the deal was that for the book to be in shops, there had to be a book tour and the guy I was with was totally against it."

"Against it?"

"I don't know. He didn't want me to go on the book tour. So, I said that it was over. This is my greatest dream. To have people read my stuff, you know? I wasn't going to let anybody get in my way when I had the opportunity to have my dream come true," she explained. "And since then, I've been moving around so much that a stable relationship just wasn't possible."

"What changed your mind now?" he asked quietly.

"I met you," she admitted.


	13. Chapter 12

**A/N: Sorry it's late. On Wednesday, I went out with family friends and I've been feeling HORRIBLE today :( Sorry. I'll try to be on time next week. Enjoy :)

* * *

**

Chapter 12

It seemed impossible to think that anything had changed as far as Troy's and Gabriella's relationship was concerned. They still fought and argued like their lives depended on it, usually about trivial, unimportant topics. The only thing that had, obviously, changed between them was that they were not low on the PDA side of their relationship. They didn't kiss all of the time in front of people or anything like that but it was rare to find Troy and Gabriella in the same room and not holding hands or in each others' arms. By now the other ranch workers, students and students' parents were used to Troy's and Gabriella's constant bickering and found it highly amusing. Troy knew that this calmed Greg's worry because he knew that the older man had worried that the arguments would drive potential students and employees away.

Speaking of Greg...

Troy approached the figure dressed in denim overalls who was bent inside the bonnet of Gabriella's car, obscuring the view of their head. "Hey, Greg, have you seen Ella at all today?"

The figure straightened up and turned to Troy. They took the baseball cap off their head and Gabriella shook her mass of curls. She bent down and put the wrench back in the rusty red toolbox at her feet. She dropped the cap to the ground and rose back to her full height. "You were looking for me?"

Troy simply stared at her. Her hair was beautifully tousled, much wilder than he'd ever seen it, grease and oil covered her hands, the overalls bagged around her tiny frame and oil and grease replaced her usual carefully applied makeup.

"I know this probably isn't that attractive," she murmured as she reached up to slam the bonnet down, "I'll just go and clean up."

Troy brought her quickly into his arms and kissed her. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Fixing my car. It wouldn't start this morning. So, Papi drove me to the scrap yard just outside of town and I found a fuel pump for it. It should work now," she explained. She reached up to scratch her cheek but only spread more oil on her skin.

He stared in amazement at her. "Why didn't you call breakdown?"

She shrugged. "I can fix most car problems so I didn't see the point."

"A woman who can beat me at basketball and pool, torture me with ballet and knows about cars? Where have you been all of my life?" he breathed.

She laughed and twisted out of his arms, trying not to stain him with oil slash grease. She wiped her hands on her overalls and once she was satisfied they were as clean as possible, she walked to the driver's door. "Now, I need to know if it's fixed." She climbed into the driver's seat and watched as Troy climbed into the passenger seat, both doors slamming shut. "What are you doing?"

He shrugged. "I want to know how good of a mechanic you actually are."

Gabriella nodded and rested her left hand on the steering wheel as she twisted the key. After a few coughs and splutters, the car began the comforting hum of the engine. She sighed with relief as she turned the engine off. She flopped back in her seat and turned to the man who angered her to the point of oblivion but also gave her a wonderfully warm feeling in her entire body that she never wanted to stop. In fact, the more she was around Troy, the stronger the warm feeling got.

"What do you think?" Gabriella asked.

Troy smiled and nodded, clearly impressed. "A woman of many talents."

She shrugged. "What can I say?"

"You don't have to say anything," he mumbled as he leaned across and captured her lips in a sweet kiss. The knowledge that she knew about cars and, more importantly, could actually fix one was a pure dream for any man. He wound an arm around her back and slowly manoeuvred them so that Gabriella was lying, rather uncomfortably, across the two front seats and Troy was hovering over her. He slowly moved his lips down to her neck which had a glossy sheen of perspiration there.

"Troy," Gabriella whispered and pushed on his shoulders so that she could look at him. "No," she said sternly, using an authoritative tone which only came with the trials of motherhood.

Troy sighed and nodded as he helped her back into the previous position so that they were both looking out of the windscreen. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Gabriella smiled and turned to him. "Troy, as much as I love the thought of making love to you, I kind of want our first time to be a bit more romantic. You know, preferably not in a car where a gear stick was digging me in the back and where it's highly likely that anybody could see us. Besides, I want to wait a little while if that's okay. I don't want to rush. We have time for stuff like that."

Troy chuckled. "It's the overalls."

She frowned. "What?"

He rolled his eyes. "You said that you probably weren't attractive but seeing you like that is hot. Way hot. Like smoking."

Gabriella looked over to the opening gates to see four different cars trundle in, stopping near her house. "I wouldn't let them hear you say that," she mumbled.

"Ella, who is it?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shrugged half heartedly. "Did I forget to say that we have company this afternoon?"

"We do?" Troy asked in shock.

She turned to him slowly. "My friends wanted to meet you properly. You know, without me having a freak out this time."

"I sense an 'and'," he muttered.

"Well, the guys are like my older brothers so there's a high likelihood that they'll expand on what Papi said the other day," she admitted quietly.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Troy asked.

Gabriella sighed. "I thought you'd freak. I mean, you didn't cope with Papi that well."

Troy rolled his eyes. "Thanks for having faith in me and everything."

Gabriella got out of her car and grabbed the keys before she slammed the door shut. Once Troy was stood in front of her, she threw her hands up in the air. "Hollywood, you were stuttering at my dad. That isn't the way to make him think that you're strong and brave, despite how he's known you longer than I have. Toughen up. They won't hurt you. I can guarantee that. They'll just ask you a bunch of question, probably embarrass you, and then say they approve. Just please? I'm sorry I didn't tell you but-" Gabriella was cut off when Troy leaned down and kissed her.

"Just shut up," Troy murmured as he draped his arms around her waist. "You don't know how annoying you can be when you're trying to apologise. I forgive you. There, are you happy?"

She smiled up at him. "Ecstatic. But behave. Don't make them mad."

Troy looked over at the group of people heading towards them. "I don't know. I think Sharpay would do the most damage if I stepped out of line."

She patted his chest. "Don't let her hear that." She took his hand in hers and began leading them over. "Amber," she called into the open space surrounding them.

Amber skipped happily from around the back of Gabriella's house. "You called, Mama?"

Gabriella looked expectantly at her. "Your aunties and uncles are here. What do you say?"

Amber skipped over to the adults and began hugging each of them. When she came to Charlie, she turned back to Gabriella. "Mama, can I take Charlie inside to play with my toys?"

"Sure," Gabriella replied. Once the children were inside, Gabriella acknowledged her friends. "Guys, I think I'm going to go and get cleaned up. You can make yourselves at home. Keep an eye on Amber. I think she's got some hay fever but I'm not sure. I'll be about a quarter of an hour. Shall we go inside?" She led her friends inside, sending them greetings along the way. When Zeke got to her, they both spread their fingers and touched their palms together. "Hey Zeke. Behave," she warned and squeezed Troy's hand. "You guys know each other, right? You told him about the Pupus and the Merlot?"

"How'd you know I didn't buy the Merlot as a first choice?" Troy asked indignantly.

The rest of her friends had already piled into the living room so there was just her, Zeke and Troy in the hallway. She still had grease and oil on her face. "Did you?" she asked the American man.

His face fell. "Well, no. But that's not the point."

She sighed and kissed his cheek tenderly. "I guessed because I saw the bottle of Lambrini in the pantry."

"Oh," he muttered. "Well then. Zeke, she asked you a question."

Zeke chuckled to himself. "Yes, I told him about the Pupus and the Merlot."

"Thank you," she whispered sincerely. "I mean, I'd probably still be with him if he'd cooked me pasta and poured me a glass of Lambrini-"

Gabriella was interrupted by Troy letting out a victorious "Ha!" and pointing a finger at Zeke.

Gabriella smacked his chest playfully. "Behave," she scolded. "But, thank you, Zeke. It was incredible."

"Was it now?" Troy whispered in her ear so that only she could hear.

"The food and drink really won me over. So, if you guys don't get along, it's your own problem. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get cleaned up. Zeke, you know where everything is in the kitchen so if anyone wants anything, just help yourself." She kissed Zeke's cheek and then stepped on her tippy toes to kiss Troy's lips.

Troy smiled as he let go of her hand and watched her as she made her way up the stairs.

"Come on, Troy. The girls will force us to make them drinks." They made their way to the kitchen but paused to invite the other guys (Ryan, Chad and Jason) to help with the drinks. Once they were all in the kitchen, Zeke and Chad forced Troy to sit on an island stool. They all began milling around Gabriella's kitchen, making the beverages for everybody. Of course, they already knew who would have what. Troy sat there in bewilderment as questions were tossed back and fore between the other men in the room.

"Got the milk, Ry?"

"Chad, what biscuits did you find?"

"Where's Gabi's whipped cream?"

"Is the kettle on?"

Whilst the kettle was boiling, Zeke, Chad, Ryan and Jason stood on the opposite side of the island so they were facing Troy. "Hi," Ryan said cautiously. "I guess we should formally introduce ourselves. I'm Ryan, Sharpay's younger brother and, for all intents and purposes, Gabi's younger brother as well."

"You're with Carmen, right?" Troy asked.

A smile tugged on Ryan's lips. "Yeah. Why?"

"Because for all intents and purposes, I'm Carmen's older brother," he said with a quirked eyebrow.

"Understood," Ryan muttered.

Jason rolled his eyes. "Alright, Troy, I'll give it to you straight: I'm Jason. I'm Kelsi's husband and Sharpay hates me. I may have only just managed to get a degree in business but if you hurt Gabi in any damn way possible, I have a black belt in jujitsu I will very happily use on you."

Troy was about to respond when someone with a much more feminine voice beat him to it. "Please don't threaten him," Gabriella pleaded.

Troy turned to her as she walked into the kitchen in all of her beauty. She now wore a flattering white summer dress with little yellow flowers dotting it. Her hair was tamed into its usual curls framing her face and the delicate application of minimal makeup replaced the oil slash grease. He smiled at her as she stood beside him. His arm immediately wrapped around her waist. "It's alright, Ella. They're just trying to protect you."

"Yeah well, they wouldn't do anything to hurt you. Don't listen to them. They know as well as I do that if they hurt you in any way, I'll hurt them in return. Isn't that right, boys?" she asked, turning to her guy friends.

They shuffled their feet in embarrassment.

"See?" she asked, stroking Troy's hair. "They're harmless. Their bark is worse than their bite." She kissed his head tenderly. "How're the drinks coming? Did you find everything?"

"I couldn't find the whipped cream for Pay's froth," Zeke explained.

"Did you check the bottom drawer of the fridge?" she asked.

"No," he mumbled as he began rummaging in the fridge for the cream.

Gabriella smiled at Troy. "I'll be with the girls. You'll be alright, won't you, Hollywood?"

He chuckled and nodded. "Of course I will. If I can survive ballet, I can survive anything."

She rolled her eyes. "At least it's a real sport and men don't just run around in tight trousers all of the time," she protested.

"No," he drew out the syllable, "they prance around in tights."

Gabriella frowned at him. "Touché. Anyway, I'm with the girls." She dropped a kiss to Troy's lips and then left the guys in the kitchen.

Troy turned back to the guys. "Well, should we join them?" he asked tentatively.

Chad sighed. "I think we should take the drinks through to the girls and then go outside for a kick around. We could take the kids outside. I have a football in the boot of our car. What do you guys think?"

* * *

"Who's going to be the American's team?" Jason whispered.

"The American can hear you," Troy muttered. "I'm American, not deaf. I'll be on Amber's team."

Zeke shrugged. "Fine with me. It'll have to be four-on-three. Chad, you go on and get the ball and we'll head outside."

When Chad had got the football, he joined them all outside with Amber and Charlie. Of course, Amber and Charlie wanted to be on the same team with Troy and Zeke joined them. Chad, Jason and Ryan were their opponents. Two separated chairs sufficed as a goal against a wall of Gabriella's house.

"So, how much do you know about Gabi?" Zeke asked as he dribbled the ball towards the goal and dodged Chad when he tried to tackle him. Zeke kicked the ball over to Troy who blocked it with his foot and began his own dribbling towards the goal.

"Not much," he admitted. "But, it's not about that when it comes to Ella and me."

"Then what's it about?" Jason asked as he successfully tackled Troy.

"So much more than simply knowing facts," Troy explained.

Chad kicked the ball between the chairs and yelled out a shout of victory. He joined Jason and Ryan in some sort of victory dance. Ignoring his friends, Zeke turned to Troy, happy that Amber and Charlie were content with kicking the ball back and fore. "So what is it about?"

Troy ran a hand through his hair. "You know Sharpay? Does she make you feel free and careless and like the entire world has stopped spinning simply because she's yours? Like everything's going to be okay because she's by your side?"

Zeke shrugged. "Of course. Why?"

"That's how Ella makes me feel. Lord knows that these past years have been a big pile of..." he trailed off when he remembered Amber's and Charlie's presence. Sparing them just a glance, he continued, "poopie to me. But, Ella's like a light at the end of a tunnel. I mean, I know that we're at each other's throats every hour of everyday but it's just like teasing, you know?" he asked. "We don't mean anything by it. Zeke, I know you care about her but I promise that no matter how much she annoys me, I care about her more than I show. And I know that it's hard for everybody else to believe but I do care about her. A lot."

Zeke smiled and patted Troy's shoulder. "So, what _do_ you know about her?"

Troy rolled his eyes. "She likes Elvis and Queen. Oh and she compares them to Frank Sinatra and Status Quo. Can you believe that?"

"You prefer the Quo? Wow, she won't like that," Zeke exclaimed.

"She _doesn't_ like that. She's strong and independent," Troy whispered. "I guess that's why I like her. I mean really like her. This isn't some high school crush for me and because of Amber I know it isn't for her either. I know that she knows what she wants, she's passionate about who and what she loves and she is the stubbornest person I've ever met. I also know that she would correct my bad grammar just then."

Zeke chuckled. "Definitely. Crikey, Gabi is _the_ grammar snob. Comes with the territory of being a writer, I guess. And, yes, she is stubborn. Reminds me of someone else."

Troy shrugged. "I'm stubborn, she's stubborn. Amber's doomed. Is it any wonder why we fight so much?"

Zeke laughed and nodded. "Well, all I can say is good look to you. No guy has ever been able to comprehend and tolerate how complex she really is. I mean, her clumsiness, her being stubborn, her obsession with horses and ballet..."

"When you put it like that, it's no wonder it's been a while for her," Troy joked. He shrugged. "I don't care about that stuff. I love that stuff, actually. I just can't help it. She is who she is. I'm not going to change that."

Zeke nodded solemnly. "Good. Because if you did, all of us, including the girls, would have something to say about that."

Troy laughed and shook his head. "Nah. Like Ella would tolerate anybody trying to change her. She's barely coping with her agent trying to broaden her writing horizons or whatever trash her agent pulled on her. She still complains about it."

"She complains about what? You?" Gabriella asked.

Troy turned to see her stood in the back doorway, one hand placed on the white doorframe. He laughed and grinned at her. "Probably, yes. Anything you want to complain about right now?"

Gabriella walked over to him, tripping over her own feet in time for Troy to catch her. "Yes. My own feet." She blushed and hid her face in Troy's shoulder.

He rolled his eyes and wrapped her in his arms. He chuckled to himself and could see the acceptance in Zeke's face. "See? She's even falling for me. It's a good thing I love her clumsiness, isn't it?"


	14. Chapter 13

**A/N: Sorry for delay. Thanks to school, I truly suck at this!

* * *

**

Chapter 13

Sitting in the rowdy, cramped dining area of Pizza Hut would probably seem extremely un-romantic for anybody who was sort of familiar with normal relationships. But Gabriella wasn't. As she told Troy (completely honestly, she might add) it had been a while for her but it wasn't just that. She knew that the bond and the _relationship_ which she shared with Troy was extremely different to any relationship she had witnessed in real life.

And when had Gabriella ever been normal?

She had never been in the situations which most teenage girls (especially her girl friends) had been in. She had never, ever, ever spent countless days and nights pining away for some guy. She hadn't drawn hearts around guys' heads in class pictures, she'd never sat drooling in class over the guy sitting in front of her and she certainly never spent her evenings crying over buckets of ice cream because she was the victim of unrequited love. She had never felt that pain and as long as Troy was staying with her, she didn't really think she would ever feel that pain.

However, she was squished in a booth with Amber on her right, against the wall, and Troy on her left and they were sat opposite Zeke, Sharpay and Charlie. It seemed impossible to think that two adults plus a small child could fit on a side of a Pizza Hut booth. But, that didn't matter. It had worked for them and the air around them was filled laughter and jokes and simply relaxation. Gabriella had been under strict instructions by Troy that she was, under no circumstances, not going to think about writing. After a rather loud and long argument which involved having Greg and Maria on Troy's side, Gabriella had left her notebook and purse at home.

Bottom line?

She was loving it.

A waiter appeared with their much anticipated pepperoni pizza with the stuffed crust. After he had left, Troy held his glass of water up. "I'd like to make a small toast," he explained. He cleared his throat nervously and smiled across at Gabriella. "I'd like to thank everybody. I've been a little..."

"Weird, strange, boring?" Gabriella supplied, smiling at him.

"Exactly," he agreed. "And because of this woman, right here, I'm finally feeling something apart from hopelessness and having to force a smile on my face. I feel like I have a family again."

Sharpay touched her glass to his. "You do have a family. And if Gabi ever, which she probably most definitely will, gets on your nerves, you can guarantee that one of the guys or one of us girls will be around to help."

Gabriella and Zeke laughed together. Zeke joined his glass in the clinking. "You're officially one of us now."

Gabriella touched her glass to just Troy's and linked their free hands together under the table. She looked him in the eyes. "Hollywood, you've always been a part of my family. My parents will tell you that," she said softly.

"Wait a minute," Charlie exclaimed as the adults placed their glasses back down.

Sharpay frowned and touched his head. "You alright, Charlie?"

He frowned but nodded. "Does this mean that Troy is another uncle for me? Because that would be really awesome and I'll never have too many uncles."

All of the adults laughed and Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Awesome. He's been hanging around Chad way too much." She turned her gaze to Troy and quirked an eyebrow. She gestured with her head to Charlie.

Troy looked to Gabriella who was looking at him expectantly. This was important to her. Sharpay and Zeke and the rest of her friends were simply an extension of her family, meaning that Charlie was her nephew. He looked back to Charlie and nodded at him. "Of course I'll be your uncle. And, besides, you can't have too many uncles, right?"

"Right!" Charlie exclaimed as he reached over the table to give Troy a high five.

The mouth-watering pizza in front of them slowly became smaller as slices began to take up their individual plates instead. Troy's and Gabriella's hands were still entwined under the table and Gabriella leaned into him comfortably. Troy picked up his slice of pizza and took a bite. He made a noise of appreciation.

Gabriella giggled at him. "You okay?"

He nodded. "Of course. It's just been a while since I had a good pizza like this."

Gabriella frowned up at him. "Have you just been a hermit for the past three years?"

He shrugged. "More or less."

"Anyway," Zeke began pointedly, "how's the book coming, Gabi?"

She shrugged.

"What is it?" Sharpay asked.

Gabriella gestured for Troy to talk.

He sighed. "I'm not allowing her to even think about that book. I even managed to persuade her to leave that disgusting notebook at home."

Sharpay and Zeke gaped at him. "That thing has been attached to her since she was born. We hated it when she brought that out because we knew she wouldn't talk to us for about five hours," Sharpay exclaimed. "How'd you manage that?"

"Hey, I wasn't that bad," Gabriella exclaimed. "That was mean." She took a bite from her pizza slice and shot a fake glare in Sharpay's direction.

Troy shrugged. "Let's just say I had to call for reinforcements."

"What does that mean?" Amber asked, turning away from her conversation with Charlie about ketchup.

"It means that I had to ask for help from Gran and Grandpa," Troy explained.

Gabriella groaned in embarrassment. "Come on, guys, stop it."

Troy chuckled and kissed her temple. "Alright."

They were quiet for a while, too busy munching away happily on their pizza. "So," Zeke started, "do you guys have any upcoming plans?"

Gabriella shrugged. "Not yet. I think we're just allowing everybody, including ourselves, to adjust to our relationship." She felt a vibration in her pocket and brought out her mobile. She glanced at the screen and gasped. "Guys, I have to take this. Excuse me." She looked expectantly at Troy. "Can I get out, please?"

"Who is it?" he asked.

She sighed. "It's not another guy and it's not my agent now move, please?"

Troy reluctantly slid out of the booth, allowing her to slide out, too. He watched her leave the rowdy restaurant and then sat back down, next to Amber. "Do you guys know who it is?"

Sharpay shrugged. "Why are you so tense? This is Gabi. She wouldn't know how to juggle more than one guy so calm down."

He shook his head. "It's not that. Didn't you see her face? It broke my heart. She looked like she'd seen a ghost."

Zeke sighed. "Troy, you need to be patient with her. She's not going to be an open book. Especially with you."

Troy frowned. He was all too used to people keeping things from him and he didn't want Gabriella to be one of them. "Okay. Right." He pushed his plate away which still had a half-eaten slice of pizza on it. He suddenly wasn't very hungry. He stood up and grabbed his blazer jacket. "She may not tell me what's wrong but there is no way I'm just going to let her go at it alone. Watch Amber, okay?" He leaned down to kiss Amber's head. "Be a good girl." He stepped outside of the restaurant onto the pedestrian part of the town centre. He saw Gabriella sat on a bench a little way away, looking distant and vacant. He slowly headed her way and sat down next to her. Although he hadn't exactly been quiet, she still didn't seem to notice him. The streetlights were on, permitting a little extra light. He hesitantly rested a hand on her thigh and she seemed to jump and turn to him, only relaxing when she recognised him. "Ella," he whispered. He felt the chill of her skin even in the warm summer evening and gently moved her shoulders forward to drape his jacket around her.

She managed a small grateful smile at him and buried herself in his jacket. "Thank you," she whispered. She contented herself with inhaling Troy's scent deeply. She turned to Troy and blushed prettily. "I'm still a little cold. Could you hold me?"

He nodded and opened his arms, welcoming her to his embrace. "We can go inside if you want to," he offered.

She shook her head against his neck. "I can't. Not yet." She fiddled with her phone as if it held the key to life's mysteries.

"Ella, what happened?" he asked quietly. "I'm not mad that you left. I just care about you so much and I want to make things better."

She laughed and wiped the tears that were gathering in her eyes. "Don't say that. It makes it sound like we're in a normal relationship."

He chuckled and kissed her head. "We wouldn't want that now, would we?"

She rested a hand on his knee and sighed. She straightened up, breaking his embrace. She looked across at him and shrugged. "It was mi abuela," she murmured.

"Mi who-a-what-a?" Troy asked.

She laughed. "My grandmother." Her smile faded slightly. "I thought I could handle this. I almost could." She sighed. "Today was my grandpa's birthday," she whispered.

Troy stared at her but then sat up straighter to gently grip her waist. He leaned forward to kiss her forehead. "Why the hell didn't you tell me?"

She shrugged. "I thought I could handle it. I've handled it just fine when I was on my book tours." She paused and wrapped her arms around his strong shoulders. She rested her face in his neck and allowed her hands to feel his eagle wings where she knew his tattoo was. She lifted her head and looked into his eyes. "I guess that now that I'm back home, my life isn't as hectic as it is on my tours so I've got more time to think." She paused. "My grandma just wanted to know how I was doing, like she does every year, and we got talking about you and how much he would've loved you."

"You think so?"

She nodded. "I know so. I just wish he could've met you." She brushed some of his hair. "This probably seems really silly to you."

He shook his head. "No it doesn't. I just want you to be able to talk to me."

She breathed out deeply. "Do you want to stay at my place tonight? On the settee, I mean. I'm not too thrilled by the idea of being alone."

Troy smiled and nodded. "If that's what you want."

She nodded. "It is." She leaned forward and kissed him softly, gaining strength from his touch. She pulled back and smiled at him. "I guess we should go back in there."

Troy nodded but neither of them moved. He smiled and pulled her closer, resting his chin on her shoulder. "I know I don't show it that well but I care about you more than anybody else. I'm glad that you're mine."

Gabriella pulled back and blushed. "I didn't think it was possible for someone so irritating to be so corny. You're the second person on my list of people I care about."

He frowned. "What?"

She rolled her eyes. "Amber?"

He laughed and kissed her chastely. "Don't scare me like that."

She creased her brow. "Who did you think was number one? Zeke?"

"No," he exclaimed. "We've been down that road before and I have no wish to visit it again."

"For once we agree on something," she laughed.

He stood up, breaking their embrace. He held his hand out and gestured with his head to the restaurant. "Come on, you deserve some desert with me."

He was about to pull her towards the door but Gabriella stopped them. "Can you not tell them what happened out here?"

He frowned. "They're your friends."

"Exactly. And you're more than that. They don't need to know. I don't think they'll ask. They know what today is," she explained.

He nodded. "Okay then. If that's what you want, okay."

She smiled up at him. She paused and looked at their feet.

"What is it?" Troy asked worriedly. "What's wrong?"

She looked up at him with wide eyes. "You're special to me. I want you to know that. Nobody has ever made me feel this way before."

He stepped forward and kissed her beneath the pool of light that the streetlamp was providing. He rested his hands on her waist, on top of his jacket that she was still wearing. He rubbed her arms comfortingly. He looked deeply into her eyes. "You feel it, too? I've been with a fair few women, not in recent years, I might add, but I've never felt this way."

She smiled up at him. "Who are you?"

"I'm Troy. The resident American horse guy?" he said it as more of a question.

She laughed. "No. I mean, I've been so guarded about anything relating to my grandpa and with you, everything comes out."

He rolled his eyes. "I don't see that as a bad thing. Now before anyone sees us being almost nice to each other, let's get back inside. Sharpay will send out a search party if we're not back soon. Besides, I promised you desert. And, yes, I will pay for it."

She rolled her eyes. "Let's not start that again. It lasted long enough before."

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Aw, Ella, haven't you learnt by now that arguments can _never_ be too long."

* * *

"Do you want to go home and get anything?" Gabriella asked as she unlocked her front door. Amber was dozing on and off on her shoulder and Gabriella stepped inside.

Troy shook his head. "Not if you have a spare toothbrush."

Gabriella smiled. "Alright then. Well, as you're staying here, would you like some wine?"

"Merlot?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow.

She giggled quietly and nodded. "As a matter of fact, yes. It is Merlot. Can you do that while I put Amber down and change into my pyjamas? If that's okay?" she asked.

He nodded. "Of course it is. Where's the wine?"

"The pantry. The glasses are in there, too. I'll be upstairs if you need me," she murmured as she climbed the stairs with Amber in her arms.

Troy headed into the kitchen and opened the pantry to find, as promised, a bottle of Merlot with some wine glasses on the shelf below in the pantry. He set them all on the kitchen unit and then sighed, running a hand over his face. What was he doing? Honestly. Not all that long ago, he had been what many musicians would call 'comfortably numb' and moving through life with his day-to-day routine, depending on his shift at the ranch. He'd go to work, visit his mother at the home and spend some time with his dad, too, and then take Rain for a walk or a run. He'd never considered going out to look for a woman. He didn't really think a woman was what he wanted. What he wanted was for his mother to never have had her stroke.

But now, he had Gabriella. And that changed things. It changed things a lot. Although he still obviously wanted his mother to be better, he couldn't help but feel like he'd been wrong all of his years. He didn't expect to feel so good to have a woman to call his own. He knew their relationship was complicated. They yelled at each other every chance they got, Amber was involved, she was his boss' daughter and there was the possibility that she'd just leave again for another book tour. It wasn't the simple, care-free relationship he'd been accustomed to throughout secondary school. Back then, the only things that complicated matters were exams. This, though, was a whole other story.

So why was he setting himself up for the possibility of a broken heart?

It didn't make any sense. When they first met, Troy had honestly found the sheer sight of Gabriella repulsive and he was so adamant that he had hated her. And yet, he didn't. He doubted whether he ever had. The way he felt around her was almost surreal. He hadn't known what love was. He'd seen his parents experience it but how could he possibly understand how it actually felt to them? He hadn't ever known what to expect. He didn't know if it was like the Disney films but the way Gabriella made him feel was beautiful. It was indescribable.

Shaking the inner-babble from his mind, Troy began rummaging through the nearby drawers, searching for a corkscrew. Drawing a blank, he began climbing the stairs. He made his way across the landing towards the open door and was about to open his mouth when he just...stopped. Words escaped him. It was so simple. All he had to say was, "Ella, where is your corkscrew?" and that would be that. But his voice box seemed incapable of voicing anything.

He probably should've turned away and given Gabriella her privacy. But he was mesmerised by the way Gabriella moved in a pair of lilac shorts and a matching tank top. Her back was to him and he stared at her as she brushed her hair. The movements were slow, allowing the knots to unravel from her thick hair. Her shoulders were slim and the same dark skin tone as the rest of her. It was hard to think that someone who looked so calm and serene before him could exhibit such anger towards him.

He slowly stepped away from the doorway and walked back across the landing and sat down quietly on the top step. There was no way he'd get down the stairs given the way that his heart rate had increased dramatically. There was no doubt that she was beautiful. Nobody could deny that. And that's what had his heart racing and his palms sweating. His father always said that even now when his mother had grey hair, had a speech impairment couldn't use the right side of her body and her face was contorted because of her stroke, she was still the most beautiful woman in the world to his father.

Troy sighed and wiped his hands nervously on his jeans. There was no way...right? Love didn't happen that way. It took time, something that he and Gabriella hadn't shared yet. It had only been a matter of weeks. He couldn't. Not yet.

But did he?

Is this what it felt like? To feel sick to the stomach with butterflies? To have your hands ever-so-attractively sweaty? To have his heart racing so fast that it felt as if he'd just done a hundred suicides?

Troy buried his face into his hands and only then realised that he'd been crying. He assumed that it was because he was happy. After all, he had just concluded that he was in love with his girlfriend. But, through the jumble of his mind, he struggled to actually find the source of the crying.

He flinched when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He swiped his hands away from his face and sighed with relief when he saw Gabriella sat beside him. He swallowed nervously and felt the tears continue to drip down his cheeks at the sight of her.

"Hollywood?" she whispered. "What is it? Is your mum okay?"

He nodded. "Yeah," he breathed. "She's fine as far as I know."

"Do you want to go home? You don't have to stay here," she offered.

He shook his head frantically. "I can't leave you. I need you," he admitted.

Gabriella glanced at the shut door to their left. "Hey, listen, do you feel okay? Like, can you make it downstairs? I don't want Amber to wake up."

Troy wiped his cheeks and nodded. "I think so."

Gabriella stood up and held her hand out. "Come on, Hollywood, you need some wine." She wrapped an arm around his waist and began helping him down the stairs.

"I couldn't find your corkscrew," he sniffed.

"That doesn't matter. I know where it is," she murmured. She led him into the lounge and set him down on the settee. "Stay there, okay? I'll get us some wine and you can tell me what's bothering you, okay?"

"You're not mad?" he asked.

She frowned and opened her mouth before she closed it again. "Why would I be mad?"

"Didn't I ruin the mood?"

"I don't care. There'll be plenty of other nights that will have the right mood. I'm more concerned about you," she admitted before she disappeared back into the kitchen. She returned a couple of minutes later with two glasses of wine and she handed one to him as she sat down next to him, tucking her legs under herself. She took a languid sip from the Merlot and rested a comforting hand on his thigh. She felt his muscles tense beneath the denim of his jeans. "Please talk to me," she pleaded quietly.

Troy wiped his eyes and placed his wine glass on the windowsill to his right. "I went upstairs to find you because I couldn't find the corkscrew. I went to your bedroom, I saw the door open, and was about to ask but I saw you. Not naked or anything. But I just watched you brushing your hair and I thought about how beautiful you are."

In his moment's pause, Gabriella leaned across him to place her wineglass next to his. "Take your time," she encouraged.

Troy nodded and reached for her hand, finding comfort from her touch. "I thought about my dad because he still says, after all of this time, that my mom's the most beautiful woman in the world." He turned to her and pulled her closer. "Ella, I think I've fallen in love with you."

Gabriella stared into his blue eyes. "You mean that?" she whispered.

Troy nodded solemnly. "I've never been so sure about anything before. I mean, it scares the hell out of me."

She cracked a smile. "You'll be okay." She paused. "Troy, I know that you're hoping for me to return it and I want to but can I take a rain check on that? I want to be sure of what I feel before I say it."

Troy sighed and brought her into his arms. "Take your time," he murmured. "I just needed you to know how I feel."

Gabriella rubbed his leg and tilted her head to look at him. "I hate to break the whole this-is-how-I-feel thing but who knew that Troy Bolton could cry?"

He smiled down at her and kissed her resolutely on the lips. "Hey, feel privileged. I don't cry over every daughter of my boss."

She poked his chest. "Good. Because I don't let all of my dad's employees sleep over and confess their love for me."

"I'm glad to hear that, Ella," he whispered. "I don't want to share you in that way."

She shook her head. "You don't have to."

"Sharpay said that you wouldn't know how to juggle more than one guy," he mumbled.

She pulled a face at him as she snuggled into his strong embrace. "I probably couldn't. For one thing, I'd have to lie and I can't do that. For another thing, let's face it: I have you, Amber, my friends, my family and my agent to juggle. Could I really cope with hiding another guy?"

Troy chuckled. "That's true." He reached for his wine and took a sip before he replaced it.

* * *

Mi abuela – my grandmother


	15. Chapter 14

**A/N: I really am horrible at Weekly Wednesday Updates...sorry :( Atm, I'm working on chapter 21. Not many chapters left :(

* * *

**

Chapter 14

As Gabriella stood on her front porch in her pyjamas, she giggled when Troy kissed her neck slowly. "Troy, my dad could see," she murmured, pushing him away slightly.

He groaned and pulled her back against his body. "Let him. He loves me."

"He won't if he sees us standing here, me in my pyjamas and you're kissing my neck," she complained.

He sighed. "You're right. Now, I have to go. Rain will want her breakfast."

"Why don't you bring her back here?" she asked. "Amber will love that."

"What about you?" he asked.

"I love her. She's a sweet dog," Gabriella murmured.

He sighed. "That's not what I meant. Aren't you writing?"

She shook her head. "I have some things to think about. Hey, I hate to ask this but, is it possible to meet your parents?"

He shrugged. "When do you want to meet them?"

"What are you doing later today?" she asked. "I just kind of need inspiration but the biggest reason is that I don't think it's very fair. You know my family, I don't know yours."

He shrugged. "Sure. After my shift? I'll give you a ride and I'll drop Rain back home. Do you want Amber to come?"

She shook her head. "I'd like to know what Amber should expect."

Troy nodded. "That's understandable. Alright. Well, I'll see you later, okay?" He leaned down to kiss her again, feeling the warmth of her body against his. It always amazed him that even though there was four years between them and she had been born in El Salvador while he had been born in America, they had still found each other and when they held each other, they fit perfectly together.

Gabriella pulled back breathlessly and ran her hand over his chest. "Alright. I'll see you later." She kissed him resolutely on the lips again.

Troy pulled back and descended the steps of her porch. "I love you," he called over her shoulder.

Gabriella sighed as she waved him off. She wanted to return the words. She wanted their relationship to go to the next level to be more serious. She could feel the attraction there. She wanted and needed him to be there with her. But how the hell was she supposed to know if she loved him? How did he know? How did he figure it out?

She frowned as she walked back into her house and locked the door. It was peaceful at the minute. Amber had yet to wake up and Gabriella had to take advantage of the silence. She headed back upstairs to her bedroom and opened her wardrobe. She reached up to the top shelf and removed a full-to-bursting photo album. She settled herself cross-legged on her bed. She took a deep breath and flipped open the front cover. The faces of each of her friends stared up at her, grinning at her. Their arms were around each other's shoulders. It had been taken on the day they had all received their GCSE results and, miraculously, they had all passed. Looking at Chad's shocked face, she realised that some had passed better than other.

She knew that she loved each of her friends. And that wasn't how she felt around Troy. Flicking through the pages, she saw pictures of her parents, her grandparents, even each of her friends on their wedding days. They were all happy and had been for a long time. Her parents were like a calmer version of her and Troy; they were complete opposites. Zeke acted like a lost puppy around Sharpay. Taylor wore the trousers in her relationship with Chad. And her grandparents on both sides of the family had always been smitten with that sweet old people kind of love.

Maybe that was what the problem was. She thought love was like that. She'd been wrong. It all made sense now. Why hadn't she thought of it before? No wonder the freaking romance book was taking forever. She thought that all of those Disney fairytales were prototypes for the love shared between two people. But it wasn't like that. She was an idiot to even consider that. Just because she and Troy had their differences and argued a lot didn't mean they weren't like her friends.

A smile spread over her face and she held a hand to her mouth as she yelled out a cry of happiness. Tears slipped from her eyes and she laughed to herself as realisation came crashing down.

She was in love.

Her bedroom door creaked open and Amber stood there, rubbing her eyes, in her pink nightdress. "Mama?"

Gabriella turned to her and laughed as she patted her bed. "Oh, come here, mi hija."

Amber climbed onto her mother's bed and crawled into her arms. "Where's Troy?"

"He popped home to sort Rain out before he comes to work," she explained, glancing at the photo album. She kissed Amber's head gently. "Amber, sweetie, are you okay with Troy and me being together?"

Amber nodded sleepily. "He's funny."

Gabriella shut the photo album and slid it to the edge of her bed. She lay down with her daughter, holding her protectively. "Amber, he's staying around here, he won't be leaving."

* * *

Troy pulled his truck into the car park of St Margaret's nursing home and un-clicked his seat belt. "Don't worry, you lived."

Gabriella breathed deeply and opened her eyes. "This thing is lethal. The least you could do is clean the inside of this thing. I hope this smell isn't toxic."

Troy rolled his eyes. "Oh come on. It's not that bad."

Gabriella opened her door and jumped down. "My eyes are watering."

Troy locked the truck and rolled his eyes. "It's not that bad."

Gabriella frowned. "I'm not convinced."

Spending the day with Amber and Rain in the barn, Gabriella felt peaceful. Her new realisation of her feelings for Troy gave her strength and confidence. She found that Rain was extremely faithful to her master. Troy had instructed her to protect Amber and Gabriella and the dog had never left their sides. She allowed Amber to tug and fuss her as much as she wanted. It was truly peaceful. No family or friends. Just her and Amber. Like it should be.

Troy smiled and quirked an eyebrow. "Would it make it better if I kissed you?"

"I want your truck to be safe, I never said I wanted to throw up," she teased.

Troy laughed sarcastically but kissed her anyway, pushing her against the passenger side of his truck. He pulled back and took her hand, leading her towards the front door. He paused just short of it and turned to her. "Don't be afraid, okay? It's not scary to be here."

She nodded. "Okay." She allowed him to pull her through the front door into a lovely bright PVC porch.

He pressed the button on the intercom and waited. "This'll just take a sec," he whispered.

A beep sounded and a second later, a soft, elderly voice sounded. "Hello, this is St Margaret's home. This is Tracey. How can I help?"

"Hi, Trace, it's Troy. Are you gonna let me in or is it going to break today?" Troy joked. He turned to Gabriella and winked. "Inside joke," he explained.

Tracey chuckled and the intercom beeped, signalling the lock opening. Troy pushed the door open and walked over to the reception desk where a plump lady with a short grey bob sat at a computer, with glasses perched on a nose. She smiled at him. "Well, well, well. That's a sight I wasn't expecting. What happened to your..." She turned to Gabriella. "Was it only me who found the beard disgusting?"

Gabriella laughed and nudged Troy playfully with her shoulder. "See? No, it was disgusting. Actually, my best friend persuaded him to shave to increase the chances of me saying yes. As it is, he's kept shaving."

Tracey narrowed her eyes, taking in the young Columbian woman in front of her. "You're that writer. Gabriella, right?"

Gabriella smiled and nodded. "That's me."

"How'd you meet him? He's not exactly going to nightclubs at the weekend," she exclaimed.

Gabriella laughed. "I kind of assumed that the first day we met. He is my dad's assistant manager at the stables."

Tracey smiled and nodded. "That makes sense."

Troy brought Gabriella to him and he kissed her temple. "So, Trace, how's my mom?"

Tracey held up a finger as she tapped away at her keyboard. "Ah, here she is. She went to aromatherapy this morning, she had her lunch and your dad is with her in the lounge at the minute. Don't be surprised if your dad's caught up in another game of chess with Mr Jones."

Troy groaned. "Oh no. You've got to be kidding me."

Gabriella frowned. "What is it?"

Troy sighed. "There's this guy in here. He's lovely. He's elderly and came here just to give his family a little more freedom. Mr Jones had a game of chess with my dad and ever since, my dad's been trying to beat him. The guy's like a genius. He's unbeatable." He shook his head in dismay. "Anyway, I'll see you later, no doubt. Ella, here, has my parents to meet. See you later."

"Bye, Tracey," Gabriella called as Troy tugged her down the hallway. There wasn't the musty, antiseptic smell she had expected. It was fresh and smelt like cinnamon. It reminded her of the time she'd used Troy's bathroom before their one-on-one basketball game. She followed him into a side room and saw a large, open room with wide windows, allowing light to spill in. Bright paintings hung on some of the walls and a small TV was set in the corner, showing Deal Or No Deal. She followed Troy to the far wall, away from the TV where a middle-aged man with a few streaks of grey in his hair but had Troy's blue eyes was sat at a little table with a much older man with a bald head and a hearing aid.

Troy smiled encouragingly at Gabriella. "Hey, Dad," Troy greeted.

The middle-aged man held a hand up.

Troy sighed. "This is Gabriella, my girlfriend." Troy enunciated Gabriella's title carefully.

The elder man chuckled and held his hand out. "I'm Charles," he introduced. "I'm happy to meet such a fine woman who has finally made Troy shave that thing off his chin."

Gabriella laughed as she shook his hand. "My pleasure. I'm glad it wasn't just me."

"Dad," Troy exclaimed. "Please say hello."

Jack Bolton turned away from the chess board and looked up at his only son. "Oh, hi," he mumbled at the sight of Gabriella. He shook her hand firmly. "You're my son's girlfriend."

She blushed and shrugged. "I like to think so. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr Bolton."

He laughed. "Oh please. I'm not in school. I'm Jack. Now, Gabriella, I promise I'll talk soon but I'm trying to win here." He turned back to the chess board, stroking his chin in concentration.

Gabriella studied the board. "Move your knight," she whispered.

Jack looked up at her. "What?"

"Move your knight to the left, by the queen. That's check mate, right?" she asked, turning from Jack to Charles, to Troy and finally back to Jack.

Jack frowned and laughed in disbelief. "By George, I think you're right." He tentatively moved the knight to Gabriella's direction and looked across at Charles.

Charles smiled in disbelief up at Gabriella. "Who are you? He's been trying to beat me for almost three years. You come along and...Welcome. You're going to fit right in."

Gabriella laughed and nodded. "Thank you."

Jack looked up at her and sighed. "What a shame. You're making me feel obliged to like you."

Troy squeezed Gabriella's hand. "Ignore him. I usually do. Come on." He tugged her over to a wheelchair just off to the side.

Gabriella felt her heart break at the sight. In the wheelchair sat a woman with thinning grey hair, soft brown eyes and the right side of her mouth had dropped slightly. Gabriella knew that those signs of age meant nothing and that the woman was a lot younger than she looked. A thin blanket covered her legs and her right hand lay limply in her lap. She swallowed back her tears and squeezed Troy's hand.

He let go of her and moved to kiss the woman's forehead. "Hey, Mom. This is Gabriella. My girlfriend." He moved away to bring over two chairs. "She's that writer, remember?"

"Hewwo," she whispered in a croaky voice. _(Hello)_

Gabriella smiled comfortingly and sat down in one of the chairs. She tentatively reached out and touched her hand. "Hi."

"I'm Lufikke," she mumbled out of the left side of her mouth. _(I'm Lucille)_

Gabriella nodded and squeezed her hand. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Gabi." She wiped her eyes with her hand.

"Hare fu oway?" Lucille whispered. _(Are you okay?)_

Gabriella laughed to herself and nodded. "I'm fine. I'm just thinking how grateful I am that I met your son. Has anyone ever told you that he's annoying?" she joked.

Lucille lifted the left side of her mouth in the best smile she could muster considering the physical effects the strokes had had on her. "Awk awf his paft girlfwends." _(All of his past girlfriends)_

Gabriella nodded. "I can see why. You should be proud of him because I am."

Lucille nodded clumsily, her head lolling more than anything. "I'f grad he round fu." _(I'm glad he found you)_

Troy placed his hand on Gabriella's shoulder, gaining her attention. "Can you understand okay?"

Gabriella nodded and wiped her eyes. "Yeah, I can. Would you excuse me? I think I need some air." She squeezed Lucille's hand and then kissed Troy's cheek before she left the lounge area and leaned against the wall. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she slid down the wall and pulled her knees to her chest. It wasn't that she was upset, so to speak. It just reminded her of seeing Grandpa Montez in his wheelchair. Of course, his speech had been better and his face wasn't contorted like Lucille's but he was still helpless and the sight still broke her heart.

She looked up when she heard footsteps. Her watery eyes connected with Troy's blue ones as he slid down the wall next to her. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

He shrugged. "It's a lot to take in. Besides, I'm kind of used to you freaking out on me."

She giggled lifelessly and looked across at him. "Do I look a mess?"

"Do you want me to lie?" he asked.

She nodded with a giggle. "Yes please."

"You look beautiful," he complimented. He took his hand in hers and kissed her knuckles. "Why did you leave?"

She took a deep, shaky breath. "She's so sweet. When you explained the effects of her strokes, I didn't really imagine it like that. She reminded me of my grandpa, actually. It was just a lot to take in."

Troy nodded and stroked her palm of her hand with his thumb. "I know. Are you feeling better?"

She nodded and smiled across at him. "Yeah." She paused. "You know how you said you loved me?"

He frowned. "What about it?"

"Did you mean in?" she murmured.

He smiled and simply kissed her in response.

* * *

Back in the lounge area, Gabriella smile encouragingly at Lucille who was preparing to tell her story of how her and Jack met. Troy had protested, claiming that Jack should tell it but Gabriella wanted Lucille's version.

"I femeber the hay ve het," Lucille mumbled. _(I remember the day we met)_

"How did you feel?" Gabriella asked softly.

"He wooked fo hamsone." Lucille lolled her head to Jack who had pulled a chair to sit next to her. "I womed to coe hin." _(He looked so handsome. I wanted to know him)_

Jack smiled and kissed her forehead. "She was in a blue dress. I remember because it was like the sky."

Gabriella looked across at Troy and rested a hand on his thigh. His arm was around her shoulders and he squeezed her gently. "I feel kind of silly for asking this but was it love at first sight?"

Lucille gave her the best smile she could. "I life fu fink tho." _(I like to think so)_

Gabriella smiled slowly and nodded.

"You don't believe in love at first sight, do you?" Jack asked.

Gabriella shrugged uncomfortably. "I'll have to get back to you on that."

A nurse walked over and checked her clipboard. "Lucille, your daily check up is due. You'll have to go back to your room."

Troy kissed Lucille's forehead. "I'll see you later, Mom. I love you."

She looked over at him. "I wuf you," she whispered. _(I love you)_

Gabriella squeezed her hand. "I'll see you later, Lucille. It was a pleasure meeting you. Why don't I bring my best friend here one day? She's a wizard with makeup and curling irons. How about we make you over?" She suddenly turned to the nurse. "Would that be okay?"

"Well, it depends on what we have going on in the day but if you ring the day before, it shouldn't be a problem," the nurse explained.

Gabriella smiled at Lucille. "Would you like that?"

Lucille lolled her head in her own version of a nod. "I faunt to le bufeful for Jack." _(I want to be beautiful for Jack)_

Jack squeezed her hand and kissed her cheek. "You are beautiful, Sweetheart."

Gabriella saw the tears in his eyes and felt her own tears well up, too. She stood up next to Troy and took a deep breath. "I'll call when we can come around, okay?"

Troy tugged on her hand. "Come on, El. We'll leave the nurses to it." He pulled her out of the lounge area and out of the building. They silently got into Troy's truck and he stared ahead for a moment. "You're crying," he finally murmured.

She nodded mutely.

He turned to her. "Ella, I don't know what to do. I can cope with a freak out. But, crying? I don't want to see you cry."

She rummaged through her bag and produced a Kleenex. She blew her nose rather unattractively and turned to him with bloodshot eyes. "I'm not sure what to say. I just found your parents really sweet. You were right. That did help me." She looked across at him. "I want to thank you."

He frowned. "Um...You're welcome. But I don't know why you're thanking me."

She sighed. "Troy, my mum and dad love each other. I know they do. Don't get me wrong. But it's kind of hard to see them as anything other than Mum and Dad. I've never seen them as a couple in love and I doubt I ever will." She wiped her eyes with her tissue. "And seeing your parents together in there was just really beautiful."

Troy took the tissue from her hands and wiped her tears away himself. "I told you," he whispered. "It was sickening when I was a teenager."

She cracked a smile. "I can imagine. But, you know, Hollywood, as sweet as that is for your mum and dad, I don't ever want you to treat me that way."

He grinned and kissed her softly on the lips. "I try not to, you know. In case you were wondering what I was doing," he joked. "I love you, okay?"

She nodded and kissed him again. "Thank you for today. That means a lot to me."


	16. Chapter 15

**A/N: Here it is :)**

* * *

Chapter 15

Gabriella moaned lowly as Troy's fingers dug into her shoulders, neck and the top part of her back that was exposed to him. The sun was beating down hard on Scarborough. The heat was intoxicating instead of the usual oppressiveness which she had become accustomed to. She closed her eyes in bliss, listening to Amber calmly explain to Troy why it was important for her to be closer to the water where the "mud sand" was because it was perfect for sandcastle building. Gabriella guessed that Troy was trying to explain why she shouldn't go closer to the waterline but Amber wasn't letting him get a word in edgeways.

As Troy's fingers continued to massage suntan lotion into her skin, she felt that tickly feeling in her tummy again. The butterflies felt good. They weren't nauseating like they were at first. They were simply a confirmation of her feelings for him.

All she could think about was the way his hands felt against her skin. It was almost like his touch made a fire ignite within her and make the temperature even higher. She knew that Scarborough's nicest beach, at the North Bay, was packed with people and she could hear the squeals and giggles of children in the cool water of the North Sea. But, the only thing her mind registered was the way in which Troy's hands kept massaging her neck and back even thought the lotion was well into her skin by now.

She sighed and sat up, straightening her spaghetti strap floral dress. She held a hand up, cutting off Amber's monologue. "There are too many people here. I don't want you to get lost. Can you understand that?"

Amber frowned as she folded her arms over her pink swimming costume. "Well, can't Troy come with me? I'll be safe then."

Troy shook his head and pulled Gabriella closer. "No can do, little gem. I don't like that mud sand. It gives me the creeps." He gave an exaggerated shiver.

Gabriella shrugged at Amber. "You either use the sand here or we go home."

"Why don't you dig a hole?" he asked as he reached for Amber's plastic spade. He crawled to the edge of the blanket which was laid out and he began scooping sand from one spot to another. "See? Then, when it's big enough, we could bury Mummy in it."

Gabriella frowned. "I heard that."

Troy gave an exaggerated sigh as he looked over his shoulder. "Well aren't you a party pooper," he complained but he sent a wink her way as he turned back to Amber.

Gabriella felt a smile pull at her lips as she watched Troy help Amber. He was shirtless, obviously. She was correct in thinking that it was impossible for him to wear a shirt if he wasn't working. She watched his muscles ripple and her eyes were immediately drawn to his tattoo. She couldn't stop thinking about it. It was so...sexy. She could see how much horses meant to him and she could relate to that. She loved the warm glowy feeling when you were sat on a horse and just successfully made a jump. It was a part of who he was. But there was more to it than simply his obvious connection with horses. She knew him. There was something else to it.

Finally, after a few minutes, Troy moved back to her and sat behind her so that she was sat between his legs. He guided her back so that she was leaning back against his chest. "Thank you, Troy," he exclaimed in his best Yorkshire accent.

She laughed and twisted her head to face him. "That was really bad."

He shrugged. "Be thankful I didn't speak Spanish. Now _that_ would be bad."

She smiled up at him and held his hand in her lap. "I can imagine."

"Oh come on. Just admit it. This trip to the beach is exactly what you needed," he exclaimed. "I love horses and the ranch and whatnot but, come on, admit it. You needed this."

"I was fine," she mumbled, staring at their interlocked hands.

Troy rolled his eyes and kissed her head. "You're in denial."

She shook her head. "No I'm not."

"Ella, you were up past two last night. Do you know how I know?" he asked.

She groaned. "Don't say it."

"You were on the phone, reading me your latest chapter after I persistently told you to get some sleep," he explained calmly.

"And you said it," she mumbled. "Why are you so arrogant?"

He shrugged and rested his chin on her shoulder. "I don't know. It's fun to wind you up."

She took a deep breath and twisted out of his arms. "Can you be a regular boyfriend for two seconds?"

He shook his head. "You mean actually agree with you on something?" He shot her a grin. "Why would I do that?"

She clenched her teeth together. "Please, Hollywood?" She sighed and ran a hand over her face.

Troy laughed. "You're still worried about this book, aren't you?"

She narrowed her eyes. "It's not funny." She looked around her and found Amber's plastic bucket. She reached for it and began filling it with sand.

"Ella," he spoke slowly, "think about what you're going to do."

The sound of his American slash Yorkshire accent made her stomach churn. But, it wasn't the pleasurable butterflies she had earlier when she had been acknowledging Troy's paternal skills with Amber. This was different. This was almost as bad as the whole I'm-so-jealous-that-I-want-to-throw-up feeling. She turned to Troy, sending him a look that could make flowers wilt and milk curdle.

"Troy," she said sweetly, "I'm very tired and I don't want to have to deal with you bragging that you were right about it," she exclaimed and with one swift movement, she poured the bucket of sand over his head.

Troy simply sat there, eyes squeezed shut, and let the sand fall from his hair, over his chest and finally land in his lap. Once it was over, he ran his hands threw his hair, attempting to make it sand-free. He got to his feet and did a little awkward dance-come-jig thing to get all of the sand out of his shorts. He sighed and looked down on Gabriella. "Alright, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kept going on about me being right but that was uncalled for."

She laughed sarcastically as she got to her feet, looking up at him. "Uncalled for? This was practically a case of kidnapping."

"We came in your car," Troy shot back.

"Because I don't trust that thing with my daughter," she cried. "She's only three, she hasn't had all of her injections yet. She'd come down with something. Besides, she wouldn't want to get in a nasty truck anyway, would you, Amber?" she turned to the side but froze. "Amber?" she whispered, taking a hesitant step forward.

Troy followed her gaze and gasped. "El?" he asked cautiously.

She dropped to her knees in the spot next to a big hole and an accompanying pile of sand. "My baby girl," she whimpered. "She's..." She couldn't even get the final word out because of the loud sob which racked through her body.

Troy knelt next to her and rested a hand on her back. "Ella," he said again, more forcefully.

She turned to him with eyes that were swimming fear and anger. "Oh shut up. My baby girl's gone and it's all your stupid fault."

Troy nodded. "I know." He looked around them and finally spotted the bright red and yellow gazebo a little way away. He stood up and brought Gabriella up with him, ignoring her protests and began weaving through the crowds towards the gazebo. He approached a young looking lady with blonde hair. "We need help," he began.

"What's wrong?" she asked, touching the hysterical Gabriella's shoulder.

"I've lost my baby girl," she sobbed. "I looked away for a minute and she's gone. I need her back."

The blonde woman nodded and guided her to a deck chair. "It's okay." She reached under the chair for a pad of paper. "I'm Michelle. You're her mother?"

Gabriella nodded and sniffled. "I'm Gabriella Montez, yes, the writer, before you ask," she snapped.

"Sorry," Troy apologised. "She's upset."

Michelle nodded. "It's totally fine. What's your daughter's name?"

"Amber Montez," Gabriella mumbled. "She's got shoulder length curly blonde hair and she's wearing a pink bathing suit."

Michelle nodded, jotting it down. "Anything else? Any distinguishing features?"

Gabriella shrugged. "She answers to 'mi hija' and Troy calls her his little gem."

Michelle pointed her pen at Troy. "And you're Amber's father?"

Troy shook his head. "No. I'm Gabriella's boyfriend."

Michelle nodded slowly. "Okay. Do you know where she might've gone?"

Gabriella scratched her head thoughtfully and turned to Troy. He took a breath. "She wanted to go to the damp sand, near the water so that she could build sandcastles. But, I don't know if she's there, I couldn't see her."

Michelle nodded. "Alright." She picked up a walkie-talkie and began speaking into it. She turned back to Troy and Gabriella. "I've contacted to the police. They'll be here soon and we'll find her."

Gabriella nodded. "Okay." She turned to Troy. "Will you stay with me?"

"I didn't even consider leaving. I'm going to be right here when Amber comes back, okay?" he mumbled as he kissed her forehead.

"Will you phone my mum and dad, please? And Sharpay?" she whispered.

He squeezed her hand and nodded as he dug his mobile from the pocket in his shorts. After the calls were made and receiving promises from everybody that they'd come down to help. He kissed the back of Gabriella's hand. "Ella?"

She simply shook her head, not wanting to listen to anything he had to say. "Mami," she cried when she saw Maria and Greg. She leapt up and ran into Maria's arms. She felt like she was a little girl again, when she'd fallen off of her bike. She wanted Maria to make it better; to take the pain away. "I want her back, Mami. I need her back."

Maria pulled back and dug through her bag for a Kleenex. She began wiping her tears away as she spoke. "And you'll get her back. What happened?"

Gabriella glanced over her shoulder at Troy who was speaking to Michelle. She turned back to Maria. "I just glanced away. I shouldn't have. But I did."

Greg embraced Gabriella tightly. "It'll be over soon, I promise."

Gabriella pulled back and shrugged. "I just need her so badly."

* * *

Troy was right. She should've slept more last night. Then, Troy wouldn't have suggested to go to the beach to relax, she wouldn't have got mad at Troy for bragging about being right, and Amber would be safe with her. That was what she wanted. When she met Amber, she had fallen in love with her but she had no idea that she could feel this scared by the prospect of losing her. Other lifeguards, police and Greg and Maria had all been searching for Amber for about twenty minutes now and Michelle was sat up on the tall lifeguard chair, scanning the waters with her binoculars. Through it all, Troy had sat on the sand beside the deckchair Gabriella was occupying, holding her hand in his. She felt bad for blaming him and knew that she should apologise but she knew that if she opened her mouth, she'd just burst out crying again.

She closed her eyes and sent a silent prayer up to God. She needed his help, his strength. She breathed softly as she opened her eyes and began fiddling with her sodden, mascara-stained Kleenex she had been using. She just wanted to do something to occupy her mind. She had wanted to help but literally nobody wanted her to. Everybody said they'd manage just fine without her because she was so hysterical.

"Mama," a voice squealed.

Gabriella looked up suddenly and saw a tall, twenty-something male lifeguard heading towards them with Amber on his hip. "Mi hija," she cried. She leapt to her feet and collided with the life guard, prising Amber from his grip. She squeezed the little girl tightly in her arms, kissing her over and over again. She pulled back, her eyes swimming with tears. "Where the heck were you?" she exclaimed to Amber.

The lifeguard chuckled. "She was asleep. She told me that she was too warm and she went to that family's tent over there," he paused to point behind him at a small navy blue tent. "The family were unaware but they're very apologetic."

Gabriella sighed and kissed Amber again. "Don't ever do that again," she pleaded quietly.

Amber nodded sleepily, resting her head on Gabriella's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Mama."

Gabriella took a deep breath and kissed Amber's head again. "It doesn't matter, sweetheart." She turned to Troy and gave him a watery smile. "Shall we go home? I think we all need some rest."

* * *

Gabriella sat on the edge of Amber's bed and brushed the blonde curls from the little girl's face. She never even stirred. She was lying on top of her quilt in her summer dress from earlier in the day because Gabriella didn't have the heart to disturb her in order to change her into her nightshirt. The pink curtains were drawn, preventing the bright sun from waking Amber.

She couldn't stop looking at Amber, as if simply blinking would make Amber disappear again. She never wanted to experience that feeling ever again. It felt like her whole heart had been ripped out of her chest and she couldn't breathe. She had finally stopped crying but it didn't stop the fear. She supposed there wasn't much she could do about it. Amber didn't know how much upset she had caused. But, Gabriella didn't want to be a suffocating mother. She didn't want to deprive her of anything, especially her freedom. So, she'd just have to live with it. She'd have to let Amber go one day, anyway, right?

"I think it's time you came downstairs," Troy murmured from the doorway.

Gabriella nodded, more to herself than to him. "I guess." She leaned forward and kissed Amber's forehead before she stood up. She followed Troy downstairs and began pottering around the kitchen, wanting to occupy her mind. "I think," she began, "we'll have some chicken salad tonight. What do you think?"

Troy walked behind her and took her hands, preventing her from continuing the preparation of their meal. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her hands tightly in his. He kissed her cheek gently and then rested his chin on her shoulder. "I think we should order take out."

She shook her head. "I want to cook. I want to make myself busy."

"Well, I want you to relax. And, remember, Ella, I'm stronger than you. You won't get out of this without my help," he whispered.

Gabriella sighed and leaned back against him, knowing that he was talking about her emotions from the day's events as much as he was talking about how she couldn't escape his embrace. "What will we have for tea?" she murmured quietly.

"Take away," he said simply. "My treat."

She frowned and twisted her head to look at him. "Stop buying me things. I have money."

He smirked down at her. "So? I want to buy you and Amber tea. You're too shook up to cook. Just let me do this."

"I'm not happy about it," she mumbled as she turned her head away from Troy.

He squeezed her waist tightly. "Just let me love you tonight, okay?" He loosened his grip on her, allowing her to turn to him, showing her look of shock to him.

"I don't want to. Not tonight," she whispered.

He chuckled. "I didn't explain myself very good."

"Well," Gabriella corrected.

He nodded. "Right. Well, I meant that I just want to care for you tonight. You're not cooking, you're not going to write and you're not going to worry, either. Can you promise me that?"

Gabriella turned away and leant against the sink to look out of the kitchen window. "How can you be so calm?" she hissed.

Troy rolled his eyes.

"I saw that," she snapped, eyeing his reflection in the window. She turned to him sharply. "I'm sorry if I seem to have overreacted but I thought I had lost my daughter today. And that hurt, okay? You don't know what it felt like."

"Don't I?" he sneered, stepping closer to her. "Ella, I know exactly how you felt today. Can you accept that? Amber means the world to me and I know she means the world to you, too."

"Then why the hell have you been so relaxed all day?" she demanded.

"For you," he cried. "You really think that me being hysterical would've helped you?" He took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. "Please help me here. I'm trying to help you so much. I want you to relax and to be happy. But you're not letting me and it hurts. Is that what you wanted to hear? That you're hurting me? All I want is for you to be safe and to be happy. So, help me help you."

Gabriella paused. "You were hurt earlier? When she was gone?"

He nodded solemnly. "Yeah, I was."

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

He shrugged. "It doesn't matter. You go and sit down, okay? I'll get us some wine." He kissed her forehead softly. "Go on."

She nodded. "Alright, alright, I'm gone." She went through to the lounge and curled up on the settee. She stared out of the living room window, feeling a few tears leak from her eyes. She felt Troy sit next to her and he reached past her to put their wine glasses on the windowsill.

"Don't cry. It's over," he whispered.

"I'm not crying," she mumbled but the crack in her voice betrayed the truth.

"Ella, I know our relationship is different considering we're not exactly the most compatible people ever," he began.

"Is this going somewhere?" she asked, not turning to him.

He held her hand in his and kissed her knuckles. "I don't want you to lie to me. Is that too much to ask?"

Gabriella slowly turned to him and gave him a watery smile. "Thank you," she whispered before she leaned in and kissed him softly, allowing their tongues to dance slowly together.

Troy pulled back and brushed her hair from her face. "Why are you thanking me?"

She shrugged, her arms draped loosely around her neck. "I'm not sure how I'd have felt today if you weren't there. So, I want to thank you. For everything."

He smiled and rested his forehead on hers. "You don't have to thank me for anything."

She nodded tearfully. "But I do. I shouldn't have blamed you today. Don't say that it's your fault because it's not and I was wrong to say that it was. I'm sorry." She paused. "You know how you love me?"

He chuckled as he let them both relax against the back of the sofa. "You don't have to keep asking me about it. I do actually mean it. And I don't expect you to say it back."

She nodded and turned to him, looking into his eyes. "Is it okay if I love you anyway?"

Troy smiled in disbelief and kissed her resolutely on the mouth. "It is very okay that you love me anyway." He held her tightly and looked into her eyes. "Just promise me one thing, okay?"

"Anything."

"Promise me that you won't worry about what happened today. It'll probably never happen again," he explained.

"You're right," she breathed. She touched his chest. "I want to show you something." She stood up, picked up her wine glass and looked expectantly at Troy. "Are you coming?"

Troy nodded as he took his own wine glass and followed her upstairs. "Where are we going?"

Gabriella pushed her bedroom door open and took a sip of her wine before she set her glass on her bedside table. She opened a drawer of her dresser and pulled out her notebook. "I want you to see this." She handed it over to him.

He frowned. "Are you sure?"

She rolled her eyes as she sat down on her bed. "I wouldn't have just told you I love you and then offered you to look at it if I wasn't sure. It's up to you, Hollywood. But, I guess you should know that nobody has seen that before. No one."

Troy set his glass next to hers and sat next to her. "No one?"

She shook her head. "That's my entire life, practically."

Troy paused but then looked down at the notebook, examining the doodles and pieces of graffiti. "Did you get bored during school?"

She shrugged. "Not exactly. During lunch, my friends would take that away from me so that I would be sort of sociable."

He flipped open the front cover to see the first few pages covered in photos. "You like your pictures."

She giggled. "Mum and Dad, Carmen, my friends, Grandma Montez, Grandpa Montez, Grandpa Montez again and Amber. That way, wherever I am in the world, I have them with me."

He continued to flip through the book, reading the poetry and the notes. He finally shut the final cover and turned to her. "Why did you show me this?"

"I told you: it's my entire life in there. I'm not that open, especially about my grandpa, but I want you to know this stuff, to truly know who I am and who I have been. I'm not sure where to begin so I figured that this was the easiest way," she explained calmly. "Hollywood, I know that our relationship is different, but that's not going to change me wanting this to be something special." She touched his hand and looked into his eyes. "Is that okay?"

He nodded solemnly. "Of course it is." He dropped her notebook to the floor and embraced her tightly as he kissed her deeply, allowing her to manoeuvre them so that she was lying on top of him.

She pulled back to look down at him with glossy eyes. She traced his cheek with her fingertips and sighed against him. "Loving you isn't a fairytale. I don't want it to be. I've never been a fan of those couples who act nauseatingly in love."

Troy chuckled from beneath her.

"Loving you isn't a fairytale," she repeated softly. "It's so much better than that."

* * *

**A/N: Would you guys like a live webcast to tell you the plot summary of my next story? The opportunity ask me questions? Thoughts please! If not, I'll just post the summary here.**


	17. Chapter 16

**A/N: Sorry that it's a little late. This week has been crazy. Essays due, coursework etc. But, I have some good news...I have three university offers :) Conditional (which means I need specific grades) but offers nonetheless :)

* * *

**

Chapter 16

The days and weeks passed with Troy growing closer not just to Gabriella but to Amber and all of Gabriella's friends, too. Troy made a point of dropping by Sharpay's and Zeke's house to visit, not only them but, Charlie, too, on a regular basis. Gabriella couldn't ask for more from him. He was at least making an effort which was more than she could say about her past relationships. They had fallen into a sort of routine. So much so that Rain had become a permanent resident in Gabriella's house with a big pile of toys and a food and water bowl to go with her. Troy had started sleeping over at Gabriella's house, despite how their relationship had not yet turned physical. It was never the right moment. Either she would get inspiration to write or somebody was too tired or they'd simply be interrupted before things could get too far.

Standing in Troy's bedroom instead of her own for a change, she peered at the wall and dresser in front of her which boasted Troy's awards for his sportsmanship over the years. She was in awe that Troy had given up the opportunity to play football or something professionally. He was obviously talented.

_You did exactly the same_, a very annoying voice taunted her.

She sighed to herself. That was very true. She had given up the opportunity to become a professional ballerina and a professional horse rider so that she could become a writer. So, she and Troy weren't that different, were they? They both gave up professional sports to do what they loved. Truly loved. Troy taught kids how to ride and she was a published writer.

She sighed and sat down on Troy's bed. She was waiting for him to come back with some coffee. Both of them wanted some time alone. And with Rain now comfortable in Gabriella's house, she was left there and Amber was with Sharpay, Zeke and Charlie. Troy had told her that he wanted her to see his awards and so here she was.

There were so many sides to him. He could be completely infuriating or he could be really graceful when he rode a horse. He could be complaining about ballet but yet he could dance really well to a ballad. He could be a really good father figure for Amber and then he could sit at a piano and be all but oblivious to everyone else.

He made her head hurt sometimes, trying to figure him out. But, she supposed, they weren't all that different in that respect. Because of her walls she had so carefully built around her heart where Grandpa Montez was concerned, many aspects of her only shone through her writing.

The door creaked open and Troy entered with two steaming mugs. He handed one to her and sat beside her, immediately wrapping his free arm around her slim waist. "What are you thinking?"

"You're confusing," she mumbled with a frown. She took a sip of her coffee but kept staring at his awards.

He chuckled. "You can talk."

"Hmmmmm," she mumbled with a nod. "I know that I'm confusing, too." She looked across at him. "But I don't mind."

He smiled. "Good because neither do I."

She sipped her coffee quietly for a moment. "Why'd you give it up?"

"Give what up?"

"Sport. Music. You're so good and you could've been playing football for England or playing the piano in some orchestra," she exclaimed.

He shrugged as he took a languid sip of his coffee. "I didn't want that life. Sure, it's fun to kick a ball around but I got no heart warming pleasure from that. The same for the piano. I love music and I love making music but I just didn't feel at home there, especially in front of an audience. I only truly feel I belong somewhere when I'm with a horse." He paused. "Or with you," he admitted in a whisper.

She kissed his cheek and sighed against him. "Who are you?"

He frowned down at her. "You keep asking me that."

She shrugged as she cradled her mug in her hands. "Nobody's made me feel this way. At all. Ever. I thought I knew what love was, you know? I thought I could expect this. But I never expected you to make me feel this way. To make me feel open and vulnerable. Nobody's made me feel like this before."

He shrugged and set both of their coffee mugs on his bedside cabinet. He took her in his arms and pushed her back so that he was hovering over her. "That's because no one's been brave enough."

She ran her hands over his arms, feeling the strength there. "So why are you brave enough to make me feel this way?"

He smiled down at her, nudging his nose against hers in an Eskimo's kiss. "Because, surely you deserve to let me make you feel the exact same way that you make me feel."

She wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him a smile as she connected their lips. Their tongues duelled together, the moisture of his was intoxicating for her. She sighed against him, breaking the kiss so that she could take much needed breath of oxygen. "I love you so much, Hollywood," she whispered.

Troy moved away from her mouth to explore her neck. "I love you, too, El."

She moaned at the feeling of his tongue against her skin. She tried to concentrate on Troy's affection but there was something extremely uncomfortable digging into her back. She felt his hand nudge the hem of her dress up and run his hand up and down her bare thigh. She took a hand from around his neck and gripped his hand that was on her leg. She giggled breathlessly when his head appeared in her view. "I'm sorry. Not now."

He frowned. "Why not? No one can interrupt us here. It's fine. Right? Are you having doubts about us?"

"No!" Gabriella exclaimed. "Of course not. I love you and need you. You know that I'm ready and I want to make love to you but I kind of want it to be..." She sighed. "Romantic I guess. You know, special. And it's not romantic at four O'clock in the afternoon after two cups of coffee with," she paused to twist her arm behind her back and bring out a hardback book, "_Night of Fire_ by Gabriella Montez digging in my back." She turned to him with a smile. "Which is a very good book, by the way." She laughed.

Troy took the book from her and threw it aside. "Nyeh. It was alright. Although I found the central character unrealistic and the plot moved too quickly."

She rolled her eyes and pushed him away so that she could sit up and straighten her dress out. "The central character _should_ be unrealistic. He's the Minotaur. And the plot? He has ten hours to become a human in order to blend into society, travel from Italy to Spain and save the entire world. You think it should be slow?"

Troy ran a hand through his hair. "Everyone to their own, I guess."

Gabriella sighed. "I'm just going to go and fix my makeup. Is that okay?"

He nodded. "Sure."

"Alright. I'll be right back." She grabbed her bag and disappeared out of the bedroom.

Troy watched the sway of her hips as she left and ran a hand through his hair. Before he could decide to do anything while he waited for her, her mobile phone on the bedside cabinet began to ring. He reached across and looked at the screen, seeing a picture of Sharpay glare up at him. He frowned as he pressed answer. "Go away," he exclaimed.

"Hey!" she whined. "Where's Gabi?"

"In the bathroom, doing her makeup. Why?" he asked.

"Ask her if Amber can sleep over," she demanded.

Troy sighed. "If I must," he grumbled. He walked down the hallway to the bathroom and knocked on the door before he pushed it open to see Gabriella applying some blush to her cheeks. "You know you're beautiful without all of that crap, right?"

She shrugged. "It covers up my flaws."

He stood behind her, wrapping his free arm around her waist and he stared at her through the mirror. "You mean like your face?" he joked.

"Troy," Sharpay exclaimed, "ask about Amber."

Troy pressed the phone against his shoulder so that Sharpay wouldn't be able to hear. "Remember when I said we wouldn't get interrupted? I take that back."

"See? I told you we shouldn't do it yet."

He rolled his eyes. "Sharpay wants to know if Amber can sleep over."

Gabriella put her blush away and looked into Troy's eyes through the mirror. "Sure. Does she want me to drop some spare clothes for Amber off?"

Troy repeated the question and rested his chin on Gabriella's shoulder while he waited for a reply. "She says that she'll drop in, use her key and get some herself."

Gabriella shrugged and leaned back against Troy. "Okay."

Once the conversation ended, he hung up the phone and handed it to her. "Ella?"

"Hmmmmm," she murmured.

"Do you have any plans tonight?" he asked.

"I was going to spend the evening with you. Like I always do. Why?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Will you go out with me? Properly. Just you and me," he murmured.

She pulled a face. "You and me? Together? Now why would I want that?" she asked sarcastically.

He smiled against her neck. "So what do you think?"

She nodded. "I'd like that. But, you'll wear a proper shirt though, right? No plaid?" she asked, eyeing his current attire in the mirror.

He rolled his eyes. "There is nothing wrong with plaid. It's comfortable."

"How would you know? You hardly ever have a shirt on if you're not teaching," she exclaimed as she twisted out of his arms and headed back towards his bedroom with her bag. She threw her bag carelessly aside and turned to him. "Why do you do that?"

"Do-" he began.

Gabriella interrupted before he could finish. "Go so long without a shirt? I don't get it. My dad wears a shirt. Which I'm glad about. Chad wears a shirt. Zeke wears a shirt. Why don't you?"

He frowned and shrugged. "Does it bother you?"

She paused and fiddled with her fingers, looking down at her bare feet in embarrassment. "It used to." She looked back up at him. "It used to anger me so much that I just wanted to stitch a shirt right into your skin. I didn't, of course. I didn't think my parents or Carmen would ever forgive me if I did."

"What about now?" he asked.

She shrugged again. "I don't really care anymore because I know that you're mine. I just don't get why you do it. I mean," she sighed as she scratched at her hair, "I know it's hot and everything, I mean hot in the Scarborough sense, but I didn't think it meant that you had to be shirtless so often."

He chuckled to himself. "I don't know. I can't answer that. I guess it's because when I'm here with Rain by myself, it didn't bother anybody so I'd be shirtless but it grew into a bad habit."

She frowned again and wandered over to his window. "You still make me mad."

He wrapped his arms around her from behind. "Good because I still get mad at that disgusting notebook of yours."

She groaned as she felt the heat rise in her neck. "I can't help it."

"Yeah, yeah, it's your whole life, I get that. I've heard it a million times from you, your parents and your friends. Can't you buy a new one?" he exclaimed.

She elbowed him in the chest. "Will you shut up? I can't buy a new one, okay? I don't know why. Maybe because I feel like it's not disgusting. I see it as something beautiful. I wish I could explain it because I know that it annoys so many people. But I can't." She turned to him and shrugged. "It's no different to your shirtless thing, is it?"

Troy rolled his eyes and stepped away to sit on his bed. "I guess not." He paused. "I'll pick you up at six thirty."

She frowned. "We're going in that thing?" she exclaimed.

"Yes!" he shot back. "We are."

"Well then," she hissed, "I'd better go and get ready for our date."

* * *

Gabriella sighed, running her hand through Rain's fur while she waited for Troy. She'd showered, dried and curled her hair and decided on a black velvet dress with silver streaks across her chest. It was comfortable and not too flashy. Troy had been anything but helpful when he'd said to 'dress nicely'. A black wrap was draped around her shoulders and some black flats were on her feet.

"Rain, your master is really confusing," she complained.

Suffice to say she wasn't looking forward to this date. She wasn't sure why. Something was bugging her. She wasn't sure what had triggered it but she couldn't stop wondering why Troy loved her. It made no sense. She knew why she loved him. He loved horses and Amber and he was actually making an effort to get along with everybody important in her life. And he made her feel human.

But why did he love her?

There was a knock at her door and she looked at Rain. "Come on. He'll want to see you."

She walked through the hall and pulled her front door open, letting Rain happily greet her owner. Troy was crouched down, fussing her ears. As he always did, he put his hand above the dog's head, expecting a high five. And, as always, she raised her paw and tapped his hand. "Good girl," he praised and dug into the pocket of his trousers to give her a treat. He rose to his full height and turned to Gabriella. He stared at her for the longest time, making her uncomfortable.

She swallowed and fiddled with the end of her wrap. "Is it too dressy? Because I can go and change," she offered, eyeing him in, as promised, a plain white shirt and some faded blue jeans with some dress shoes. Very similar to when he first cooked her tea. She eyed his evident muscles with approval but still felt uncomfortable under his scrutinising gaze.

"No," he said sharply and strode towards her, greeting her with a kiss. He pulled back and chuckled breathlessly. "No way in hell are you changing from that dress. It's perfect."

She nodded. "Alright then." She picked up her phone from the stairs and checked it quickly before turning to Troy. "Shall we go?"

Troy quirked an eyebrow and held his hand out. "Cell phone."

She shook her head. "No way. I'm leaving my notebook here, can I at least take my phone?"

"No. You can't. You'll just write the book on there," he accused.

She laughed sarcastically. "I won't. Sure as hell, I won't. I just want to take it in case there's a problem with Amber. It may have slipped your mind but I'm a mother. Hence me wanting to have my phone with me. Is that allowed?"

Troy sighed. "Fine," he said reluctantly. "But, no calls from your agent, right?"

She nodded confidently. "I promise."

Troy leaned down and kissed her gently. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, his lips still touching hers. "I kinda want you for myself."

Gabriella pressed a firm kiss to his lips before she pulled back and patted his chest. "Sorry, Hollywood. You've got to share me with a million other people." She stepped past him, grabbing her keys off the hook. She turned to him on the step. "Are you coming or not?"

"I don't have to share you-"

"No. Not tonight," she interrupted. She jangled her door key. "Am I going on this date by myself? That would really interesting considering I don't know what you had planned."

Troy rolled his eyes and looked down at Rain. "Look after Ella's house, yeah? See you later, girl."

After locking the house, they headed towards Troy's truck. Once Troy had helped Gabriella into the passenger seat, he climbed into the driver's seat. He looked across at her and laughed at her look of shock on her face. "Why are you looking like that?"

Gabriella stared around at the almost-sparkling windscreen and dashboard. She shifted slightly in her seat and appraised the freshly vacuumed seats, too. She checked the foot wells and couldn't see (or smell) any disgusting shirts. She turned to him in disbelief. "You cleaned your truck."

He shrugged as he started the ignition. "Well, I knew that you hated it and I knew you'd be in a pretty dress and I didn't want it to get filthy. So, I cleaned up. Now that I have you, and Amber, I realised that it's not just me using this truck anymore."

She cracked a smile and leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Thank you."

He shrugged as he pulled away. "I probably wouldn't have bothered if I'd known you were going to wear black."

She sighed. "I was trying to dress nicely like you said," she snapped.

Troy didn't bother to respond as he pulled out of the ranch and took an immediate left turn, driving down a dirt track next to the ranch. He ignored Gabriella's demand to know where they were going and when he pulled up, close to a small stream, he rested his hands on the steering wheel and turned to her. "Do you ever shut up?"

She grinned across at him. "No. Of course not."

Troy sighed. "Right then." He reached into the back seat and pulled out his blazer, pulling it on. He pressed play on the CD player and the beginnings of 'Burning Love' by Elvis began playing.

She laughed at him. "What's this?"

He shrugged. "We don't exactly agree where music is concerned so I made this CD. There's Frank Sinatra on there, too."

"Any Queen?" she asked.

He shook his head. "I didn't think that would be as romantic as Elvis and Frank."

"And 'Burning Love' is romantic?" She quirked an eyebrow.

He shrugged as he reached into the back seat again and brought a picnic basket into his lap before he climbed down and rushed over to Gabriella's side to help her down. "I hope this is alright and everything," he began as he knelt down to open the basket and set a plaid blanket (of course) out on the grass for them to sit on.

Gabriella sat next to him and smiled. "It's perfect. I didn't know this place existed and it's literally five minutes away from my home."

He shrugged as he began setting out plates and bowls that were covered in cellophane. "Well, although you're famous and all, I didn't think you were into the high life with dance clubs and what have you. You know? And it was such short notice to make a reservation at a nice restaurant, not that there's many in Scarborough."

She giggled, sounding very much like an excited four year old. "Not to mention that the bouncers kick you out of the club if they find out you have kids," she joked.

Troy chuckled as he set the basket aside and turned to her. "Well, let's hope tonight is worth giving the high life up for." He reached for a bottle of Merlot and poured a glass for Gabriella and then one for himself. He held his glass out as a toast. "To no glitz and glamour."

"To no glitz and glamour," she murmured as she took a sip. "This looks great."

He shrugged. "It's mostly some pasta salad and cold pizza, some brownies and chocolate covered strawberries."

She smiled. "It's great."

They ate their food quietly together, simply enjoying each other's company. There was no snapping, no shouting. They would simply share coy little smiles and glances. But, even without the snapping and the anger, Gabriella was still curious about why Troy supposedly loved her. Leaning back against his chest, Gabriella bit into the chocolate covered strawberry he was offering her. She straightened up and turned to him, watching as he finished off the strawberry she had taken the first bite from. Once he was done, he wiped his mouth with a napkin and turned to her.

She rubbed her arms against the chill breeze and was about to speak when he beat her to it. "Hey, you look a little cold," he murmured as he shrugged his blazer off and draped it over her shoulders like he had done outside of Pizza Hut.

Gabriella slipped her arms through the sleeves and nodded. "Thank you," she whispered.

Troy cocked his head to the side as he finished packing the dirty plates, bowls and glasses away. "What's wrong?"

"What do you mean?" she asked hurriedly.

"You've been quiet all night. And even when we're not yelling at each other, you're not this quiet. So what is it?" he asked.

She sighed and snuggled into his blazer even more. "Why are in you in love with me?"

Troy laughed. "What the hell-"

"Damn it, Troy, just tell me. I don't get it, at all, okay? It's not to do with the book or my grandpa, this is about me wanting to trust what you say," she exclaimed.

He chuckled and reached over to take her hand in his. "That's why I love you. I love you because you interrupt me, which happens quite a bit. And I love you even more when you yell at me. Which happens even more than the interruptions."

A smile tugged at her lips and she released a giggle. "I can't help that."

He nodded. "Exactly. I love how you don't let anyone, especially me, change who you truly are. I love how you love horses as much as I do and see them as more than a smelly animal. And I love how you can make me fall in love with you without you knowing what you're doing to me."

At the sight of tears leaking from his eyes, Gabriella reached out and held him tightly as she buried her face into his shoulder. "I love you, too, Hollywood." She pulled back to look him in the eyes. "You are the best thing that's ever been mine."

Troy smiled as he kissed her sweetly. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. You freed me and I can't thank you enough."

Gabriella swatted his head playfully. "I didn't do anything except come home. You just happened to get attacked by my disgusting notebook."

He laughed and nodded. "And now look at us, El."

She looked at her hands for a moment. "Do you think we'll okay? You and me?"

"What do you mean by that?" he exclaimed.

She shrugged and squeezed his hand. "I don't know, exactly," she admitted, "but I know that the concept of us confuses me. I mean, we can't agree on anything except horses and I just wonder if that's enough to carry a relationship. I mean, I know that my mum and dad aren't exactly matching jigsaw pieces but they don't yell at each other like we do. I mean, we argue about your shirts and my notebook. Speaking of your shirts, are you obsessed with plaid?" she exclaimed, gesturing to the blanket they were sitting on.

"I don't know how long we'll be together but I don't dwell on it. I don't know what will happen in the future. And I don't dwell on that, either. I want you now and that's all that matters to me. And as for us yelling at each other?" He sighed. "I guess that I hang onto the fact that we love each other. That's the most important thing to me. And stop insulting my bloody shirts."

At the opening notes of Elvis' 'Can't Help Falling In Love With You', he stood up and, ignoring her protests, lifted her onto the bed of his truck. Smiling at the sight of her in his jacket, he spun her around and then brought her close to his body. "You shouldn't worry so much," he murmured.

She frowned as they swayed together in the bed of his truck. "I'm not worried. Just confused."

"Confused by what?" he asked incredulously. "What's so hard to figure out?"

"You. Us," she exclaimed.

"You don't have to understand everything," he murmured patiently. "Can't you just hold onto the fact that we love each other? Isn't that enough?"

She nodded. "You're right." She paused for a moment. "Will you take me back to my house? I want to show you something."

* * *

After the short ride back to her house, Gabriella unlocked the front door and allowed Rain to have a quick greeting before she pulled Troy upstairs and pushed open the door next to her bedroom. She gestured inside. "Go on."

Troy tentatively stepped inside and looked around in awe. "This is all yours?"

Gabriella stepped inside and shut the door quietly, turning to face all of her writing, horse riding and ballet awards. "You showed me yours and I wanted you to see mine."

Troy nodded slowly. "How many?"

"I don't know. It's not that I don't care about them because I do. Of course I do. I just lose track. These past years have been so crazy with my interviews and nominations and travelling and whatnot." She shrugged. "I just wanted you to see what I gave up so that I could become a writer."

Troy shook his head in disbelief as he took in all of the certificates and trophies. "I didn't know you were this good." He turned to her. "Can I ask you something?"

She nodded as she walked over to straighten a crooked certificate on the wall. "Sure." She turned to him with a smile.

"You're good," he said quietly.

She frowned. "Was that the end of the question?"

Troy laughed softly. "I just mean, why did you give it all up?"

"The same reason you did. I mean, I know I'm still famous and all but I'm only recognised by really dedicated fans. I felt like with writing, I could offer something to other people while I was doing what I loved but with ballet or horse riding I was simply doing what I loved and making money from it and that seemed so selfish." She shrugged. "And with writing, I get to expose sides of me that I'm afraid of showing in real life."

He stepped forward and kissed her softly. He pulled back and was about to say something more when something caught his eye. He stepped closer to the door and peered at the map that was taped to the back of the door with different coloured pins stuck in it. "What's this?"

Gabriella felt the blush in her cheeks. "The orange pins are everywhere I've been and all of the purple pins are where I wanna go."

He turned to her. "Haven't been to Africa much, have you?"

She laughed. "I want to. But with my tours and now Amber, I'm not sure when it'll happen."

"Where would you start?" he asked.

Gabriella stepped in front of him, pointing at Egypt. "Start here, in Cairo, and stay close to the coast so that I go south, through Ethiopia, Tanzania and finally finish in," she found it hard to concentrate when she felt one of Troy's hands on her waist and the other brushing her hair from her neck, "um, South Africa," she mumbled uncertainly.

Troy slowly turned her around and took her in his arms, kissing her gently. He picked her up and carried her through to her bedroom, laying her softly on her bed. "No interruptions?"

She shook her head. "No interruptions. Sharpay can deal with Amber," she mumbled breathlessly as she fumbled with the buttons on Troy's shirt.

* * *

A few hours later, Gabriella stirred enough to feel two arms around her and a muscular chest pushed up against her bare back. She smiled sleepily, content to let Troy slowly stroke her arm, as if convincing himself that they had actually, finally made love. And what heaven that had been! Considering it had been a while for both of them, it was incredible. It was slow and peaceful, so that they could take their time to truly experience the love they had for each other. It had been wonderful to feel him slowly moving above her, kissing her and whispering how much he loved her.

She could honestly say that if she died right now, she'd be happy.

"I'm awake," she whispered sleepily. She snuggled back into his embrace, feeling his arms tighten around her.

He chuckled and brushed her hair away from her face to kiss her cheek. "Did I wake you?"

She turned in his arms to face him and touched his cheek, feeling the scratchiness of a little stubble. Luckily enough, it wasn't too bad and she could cope with it. "No, you didn't."

He nodded slowly and pulled her closer to rest his forehead on hers. "Do you regret it?"

She smiled and shook her head. "No. Do you?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "No."

She touched his neck and leaned closer to kiss him softly. To be more comfortable, she turned so that she was on her stomach with her head twisted to face him. "Was it worth waiting for?"

He smiled and nodded, moving his hand slowly down her back so that the thin blanket moved down, exposing her back to him. "It was. And I'm glad we waited. You were really wonderful."

She smiled sleepily. "You were wonderful, too." She sighed blissfully, allowing him to keep stroking her back.

"You have a tattoo," he suddenly exclaimed in shock.

She rolled her eyes to herself. "You know that I'm twenty-nine, right? It is legal to have a tattoo."

Troy stared in disbelief at the patch of inked skin on her lower back which showed two beautiful white orchids with their stems entwined. It was modest, not big at all. "Why do you have a tattoo?"

"Why do you have a tattoo?" she mumbled as she stared across at him.

"No one knows, do they?" he realised.

She shook her head slowly. "No. Only the tattooist who did it. Hence why I wear dresses so much. I mean, remember when we were in the barn and I only had a bikini top on? I never let you see my back. That's why."

"So, why did you get it?" he whispered, still moving his hand across her back.

She sighed and manoeuvred herself so that she was sat up against her headboard, holding the blanket against her chest. "I was on my first tour. I was on the second stop in London. I was doing interviews and signings and whatnot and I just felt really lonely. I mean, I missed my mum and dad and Carmen and I just felt really lonely. And orchids represent strength and beauty and to know that it's on my back, it kinda feels like they'll catch me, whatever happens and wherever I am."

Troy touched her cheek softly. "If you miss them so much, then why'd you leave?"

She shrugged. "The first reason is obvious: no book tour means no book. The other reason? I guess at that time, I didn't have anyone truly depending on me, you know? I didn't have Amber back then." She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. "And I didn't have you."

He kissed her tenderly. "So what will you do when this book is finished?"

She faltered. "I don't know," she admitted. "I honestly don't. I wish I did. I want to say that I'd turn them down because you mean so much to me and it's not fair on Amber to either leave her or drag her halfway across the world just for my job. But..." Tears leaked from her eyes. "I don't know."

He nodded solemnly. "You know I won't stop you from going," he whispered. "I'd never do that."

"Thank you," she whispered. She paused, running her hands over his back. "Spill it then. What's the deal with your tattoo? I know you. It's not simply to do with your love for horses."

He sighed as he sat next to her, leaning against the headboard with an arm around her shoulders. "I guess it's because in the last few years, I felt so suffocated. I mean, I love my mom and dad, of course I do. And I'd do anything for them. But, I just wanted to feel free, you know? Like that feeling you get when you're just riding. You've got no plans, no schedule and no one to satisfy but yourself. That's what I wanted. And having horses tattooed on my back kind of reminds me that it's still possible to feel that way." He turned to her. "And you make me feel that way."

She rolled her eyes, nudging him with her elbow. "Don't go sissy on me."

He smirked at her. "Would I ever?" Before she could respond, he had already pressed his lips to hers.


	18. Chapter 17

**A/N: I'm sooooooo sorry :( This week has been crazy :( Anyways, here it is... :)

* * *

**

Chapter 17

Gabriella awoke and groped blindly beside her, hoping to pull Troy closer to her but only found...sheets? She sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she discovered that she was, indeed, alone in her bed. She slid from under the covers and checked her phone quickly before she wrapped her dressing gown around her body. No messages. None at all. She padded downstairs and into the kitchen, finding Rain munching on some fresh dog biscuits. The dog lifted her head to glance in Gabriella's direction but then turned back to her breakfast.

"Where's Troy?" she demanded as if the dog would answer her. She paused for a second, listening to the crunch as Rain ate her food and then moved into the living room, heading towards the window. She felt her heart drop when she couldn't see Troy's truck where it had been last night. The sun had not yet risen, only peeking slightly over the horizon. She glanced at the clock. 7AM. Where the hell would he go at 7AM? Rain had her food, water and toys and she knew very well that he had a change of clothes in one of her drawers upstairs.

Deciding not to dwell on it, she focussed on moving Amber's toys into the storage boxes she kept at the side of the room. She knew it wouldn't last. As soon as the whirlwind that was her daughter came into the house the boxes would be next to useless but it was nice to keep her mind occupied for the time being. Once the living room was sufficiently tidy, she stood up, considering whether to take a shower or not but her tummy rumbled rather loudly. Back in the kitchen, she got a box of Shreddies from the pantry and poured herself a bowl before she added the milk. She sat there, eating her cereal, trying not to think about Troy. She shouldn't worry. He worked on the ranch for crying out loud and he had left Rain with her.

Speaking of Rain...

Gabriella looked around for the dog and found Rain sitting at her feet. She smiled and bent down to scratch her ear. "Do you know where he went?"

She turned at the sound of the front door opening and saw Amber running towards her. "Mummy," she squealed and jumped into Gabriella's arms.

"Oh, mi hija, are you okay?" she asked through a laugh.

Amber nodded excitedly. "I am. It was so much fun last night. Can we do it again?"

Gabriella thought about the pleasurable time she had shared with Troy. But then she realised exactly how tired she was and reconsidered. "Sure. But maybe in a couple of days, okay?"

Amber nodded. "Okay. Troy is coming. He got distracted because Grandpa came out."

Gabriella nodded slowly. "Right. And Where's Auntie Sharpay? Why did she drop you off this early?"

Amber's smile disappeared. "Charlie was sick this morning so she dropped me off and didn't come in because she saw Troy. So, she left me with him and then left to take Charlie to the doctors."

Gabriella nodded slowly and pressed the back of her hand to Amber's forehead. "But, you feel okay, though, don't you?"

Amber smiled and nodded. "Sure I do. Can I go into the living room and play with Rain?"

"Sure," she murmured and kissed Amber's forehead. She watched as Amber led Rain into the living room and a moment later she heard the signature clatter which she assumed meant that Amber was undoing her work of tidying the living room. She turned to the door and smiled when she saw Troy step in. She watched him shut the door and frowned. He was dressed in a plaid shirt (obviously), some jeans and she could see that his sandy hair was damp. That wasn't what confused her. It was the plastic bag that he was carrying that confused her. "Hey," she murmured when he was in the kitchen.

He set the bag on the island counter and bent down to kiss her cheek. "What are you doing awake?"

She sighed, standing up to envelope him in her arms. "I don't know. But I woke up and you were gone. I didn't know where you were."

"I'm sorry," he murmured as he brushed her hair away from her face. "I didn't think you'd wake up. I went home to shower and shave," he paused to let her touch his smooth cheek, "and I stopped by Morrisons to pick up some ingredients for pancakes and sausages, bacon. The works."

She smiled up at him. "And what's the occasion? I was quite happy with my Shreddies."

"I'm sure they're awesome compared to pancakes," he said sarcastically.

She rolled her eyes. "So what _is_ the occasion?"

Troy ran his hands slowly down her back as he smirked down at her. "Isn't it obvious? Hey, Ella, are you wearing any underwear?"

Gabriella gasped. "Like you don't already know with your wandering hands."

"You didn't complain when my hands wandered last night," he shot back as he stepped away and began preparing the pancakes.

"No I didn't because for once you were being sort of quiet," she exclaimed.

Troy laughed. "You weren't."

Gabriella folded her arms and huffed. "Hollywood, you are so..."

He turned to her and shrugged. "Please don't say annoying, conceited or arrogant. They're getting old. Go and get dressed."

"I was actually going to say," she whispered as she stepped towards him, slipping a hand under his plaid shirt, "that you are so, _so_ sexy when you're annoyed." She then stepped away and gestured upstairs. "I'll go and get dressed, you know? Let me know if you can't find anything." She turned around, heading up the stairs.

"Ella," he complained loudly, causing a smile to tug at her lips.

* * *

"How's Charlie?" Gabriella asked, sitting back against the hay bale. She, Troy and Amber was hanging out together and while she asked Zeke how Charlie was, Troy was keeping Amber occupied.

Zeke sighed through the phone. "Stomach bug. He's brighter already."

"Ah. Send him my love," she murmured, her eyes still locked on her boyfriend and daughter.

"What's happened?" he asked curiously.

"What do you mean?"

"You're distracted. Why?" he asked sharply. When he continued, realisation laced his voice. "You finally did it."

She could feel the heat rise in her neck and straightened her back suddenly. "That's not important."

"Well, G, it sort of is. I mean, for you at least. It's horrifying to think of you, my sister, doing Troy," he mumbled.

"Zeke," she exclaimed, gaining the attention of Troy and Amber. She breathed deeply. "I'll talk to you later. Love you," she mumbled as she hung up. She threw her phone aside and jumped from the hay bale to go over to where Troy was wearing a cowboy hat and was helping Amber look after a wide and very confusing variety of toys. She knelt next to him and kissed Amber's head.

"What did Zeke say?" Troy murmured quietly enough so that Amber couldn't hear.

"He guessed that we...um...you know," she mumbled.

Troy laughed. "How'd he guess that?"

"Who knows?" she muttered. "Something about me being distracted when I was on the phone."

"Still thinking about it?" he asked while sending her a smirk.

She rolled her eyes. "Pfft. Remember at the ballet studio and you complained because you'd never get in that unitard and I said how you weren't that big?"

"Yeah. Why?" he asked.

She patted his chest. "I was right." She leapt up and ran away from him.

Troy threw his hat to the side and chased after her. He wrapped her in his arms from behind and picked her up. When he set her back down, he turned her to him. "That was really mean and I know you don't mean that."

She laughed sarcastically. "How do you know that?"

He shrugged. "Do you mean it?"

"Maybe..." she teased but brought him down for a kiss before he could respond.

He pulled back and looked down at her. "Are we really going to discuss this?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. Is it worth fighting over?"

He sighed and took her hand. "I'm taking you out for lunch right now."

"I was going to make us lunch," she protested.

He shrugged. "I don't care. I want to take you out."

She glared at him. "What if I don't want to go out? What if I want a quiet lunch with my daughter?"

"She's invited!" Troy growled.

Gabriella let out a shriek of annoyance before she pushed at his chest. "Stop it," she warned. "We have a wonderful night together and now you treat me like this?"

"I'm trying to treat you well but you won't let me take you out for lunch," he cried.

"I don't want to go out to lunch. Where would you take me?" she demanded.

"Hey," a voice exclaimed. They turned to see Greg standing in the entranceway of the barn. "What's going on?" He smiled down at Amber. "Hey, Sweetie." He turned back to Troy and Gabriella. "Well?"

Troy sighed. "I want to take Ella out for lunch."

Greg frowned. "Why?"

Troy shrugged. "Because I wanted to do something nice with her. And she bites my head off!"

"Well, where were you going to take her?" Greg asked.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Oh my gosh. This is pointless."

Troy shrugged. "That nice little cafe in Thornton Le Dale." He turned to Gabriella. "You know the place? Russell's I think it is."

She nodded shortly. "I know the place."

"Well?"

Greg turned around to Amber. "Honey, what would you like to do?"

Amber looked up with a frown, turning away from her toys. "I don't know," she admitted. "Would we feed the ducks at that place? I remember Mummy taking me there with Grandpa and Grandma and there was a lake with some ducks. Could we feed 'em?"

Troy quirked an eyebrow at Gabriella. "Your call, Ella."

Gabriella groaned. "Fine. We'll go to the cafe, okay?"

* * *

After a lunch at the said cafe which mostly consisted of conversation between Troy and Amber, Gabriella allowed Amber, as promised, to feed the ducks. Once the loaf of bread had been eaten by the ducks, they all strolled around the edge of the lake. Amber skipped ahead with Rain who was barking at some of the few ducks and geese who had dared to get out of the water. Gabriella leaned into Troy's side, allowing him to tighten his arm around her shoulders. She sighed in bliss, giving them both some time to think. She watched the scene playing out before them. Amber was the picture of simplicity. She was looking for nothing and she was just enjoying skipping along with Rain, humming a made up tune. Rain, on the other hand, was looking flustered and excited, investigating different smells and running ahead through flocks of ducks.

"Hey, El?" Troy murmured.

"Yeah?" she whispered.

"Kinda like you and me, aren't they?"

Gabriella giggled and tilted her head to face him. "I guess they are. So which one am I?"

Troy chuckled and stopped walking to turn her to him. He simply stared down at her, rubbing his thumb across the backs of her hands. "Why don't you slow down while you're home?"

She frowned. "What does that mean?"

He shrugged. "You're still rushing and being frantic. Even now. Just slow down. A place like this doesn't cope with rushing. It's not compatible."

"Are you trying to get rid of me?" she exclaimed, snatching her hands from his.

Troy rolled his eyes. "Why the heck would I do that? I'm just explaining that you can't have both. It's not possible."

"Well," Gabriella paused. "I'm not trying to make it possible, I'm not trying to rush and to be frantic. I know the difference between being on tour and being home. You're right. On tour, I have to rush, I have to be frantic. It involves getting up early, jetlag and putting a smile on my face when I feel like crying because I'm exhausted and I miss my family. Being home means having time to think, to truly appreciate everything that's happened to me." She sighed and stepped closer to him again. "You don't have to pretend to understand all of that. But, I've always rushed places. I wanted to be a writer, I wanted it so badly that I couldn't wait for it to happen. Now, though?"

"El-" he began.

She held a hand up, cutting him off. "Now I want to rush to finish this book so that I can be with my family. So that I can be with you. If I could take you with me on my tours, you know I would. So, don't try to make me slow down. Because I'm only rushing to spend more time together. You and me."

Troy brought her swiftly into his arms and kissed her deeply. The kiss wasn't lustful or hurried. It was slow and peaceful; reassuring for the both of them that they'd be okay. It seemed impossible to think that either of them had, at one point or another, been so wracked with grief that they didn't really talk to anyone at all.

When she pulled back, she stared at him thoughtfully. "We need to go somewhere. There's someone I want you to meet."

* * *

Gabriella pulled her car to a stop in the car park of the church and turned the engine off. "This is important to me," she whispered.

Troy nodded. "I know it is."

She turned to him and sighed. "Remember what I said? That he'd have liked you?"

"Yeah."

"Just be yourself. Don't be embarrassed." She got out and then proceeded to unbuckle Amber from the back seat. She locked the car and held Amber close as she took Troy's hand and led them through the stones until she came to one which was shaded by a large oak tree. She set Amber on the ground and then sat down in front of the stone, leaning back against the tree trunk. "Are you sitting?"

Troy hesitated for only an instant before he sat down next to her. "So, this is it?"

She nodded and gestured to the stone. "This is my grandpa. Ricardo Montez." She looked at the stone for a long moment. It was chipped around the edges and there were some longer blades of grass closer to the stone.

"Mummy, can I go and play over there by that pond?" Amber asked sweetly.

Gabriella shrugged. "Sure." She watched Amber settle herself near the water and began picking daisies. She turned back to Troy, searching for a reaction. "Say something."

Troy chuckled and turned to her. "Do you hear his voice? Now? When we're here?"

She fiddled with her hands. "Sort of. It's like, I can hear what he would've said and when he'd have said it. Like, when I said 'Say something', he would've come out with something like a quote from _Star Trek_ or _Star Wars_ or Star something."

Troy laughed. "I take it you're not into that."

She shook her head. "Nope. And then, he would've said that I was as crazy as a saddled horse without a rider."

Troy chuckled at that. "I think I would've liked him."

"Of course you would have. Everyone liked him. Right up until the end." She paused. "Are you scared?"

He frowned. "Am I supposed to know what that means?"

She sighed. "When your parents die. Are you scared?"

"Of course. But then again, I'm still terrified by the feelings I have for you," he admitted.

"Me too," she whispered.

"Tell me about him," Troy murmured.

Gabriella sighed gently as she picked a daisy and fiddled with it as she spoke. "My grandparents on my papi's side were always closest to me. I'm not sure why. But they were and sure as hell they were all about being a part of El Salvador. Hence why I love it so much. Until my parents left to come here-"

"Why did they come here?" Troy asked, interrupting her.

Gabriella shrugged. "Mum wanted to teach Spanish to English children. Anyway, up until that point, my family was all-Spanish speaking. Nobody spoke English, except my mum, obviously. Then my parents came over here and then my grandpa got off his high horse and finally learnt some English." She sighed, twirling the daisy around her fingers. "He had no expectations, you know? Not of people or his life. He didn't expect miracles. He said the only miracles he'd ever had were his children and grandchildren." She looked Troy in the eyes. "He wasn't judging or argumentative and he was never angry with anyone. My dad once said that when he and his brothers got in trouble, it was worse because Grandpa would simply be disappointed."

"If he was never angry, where did you get your anger management issues from?" he teased.

She laughed and jokingly slapped his arm. "I'm guessing my mum's side. But let's face it," she murmured as she turned to watch Amber lining up different flowers and rocks, "Amber's doomed with both of us around."

"Do you mean that?"

Gabriella turned to him and frowned. "Mean what?"

"When you said that, it sounded like you expect me to be around for a really long time. To be, um, a father, I guess," he mumbled.

She sighed and moved closer to him, wrapping her arms around him. "Of course I do. I want you to be with me from now on. You're really good with her. Are you scared of it? Of being here a long time?"

He shook his head. "Of course not." He turned to her. "I don't want to lose you. When my mom dies, I'm not sure I can cope with it if I don't have you."

"Troy, it'll hurt and I can't change that. I wish I could but I just can't. But, it'll go away. It'll ease and you'll be okay." She kissed him softly on the lips. "We'll be okay," she corrected as they pulled back.


	19. Chapter 18

**A/N: It's not late! woohoo. Enjoy

* * *

**

Chapter 18

A few days later, Gabriella awoke to an empty bed. She wasn't upset or angry or even remotely bothered. They hadn't made love the previous night, although they had made love several times since that first beautiful night. Glancing at the clock on her bedside table, she realised that Troy had probably left to go to work. Satisfied that she had no urgent messages on her phone, she slipped out of her bed in just one of Troy's plaid shirts and paused to pick up the folded piece of paper that rested on the bedside table.

_Ella,_

_Don't panic._

_Troy_

Well, that was bizarre.

She rushed over to the window and looked out to see Troy's truck parked exactly where it always was. Then what the hell was up? The note was just...odd. It didn't say he loved her or that he couldn't wake her because he couldn't stand the thought of her complaints if he did wake her up or that her snores were annoying. She threw it onto the bed and began unbuttoning Troy's shirt, letting it slip from her body. Troy had laughed ridiculously loudly when he had woken up from sleeping after making love to find her wearing his shirt. Although she'd never wear plaid in public, she found it soft and comfortable and, as a bonus, it smelt like him. She proceeded to quickly pull on some denim shorts and a tank top before she inspected Amber's room. Concluding that she was already at Greg's, she rushed over there.

She burst through the door, coming to a halt when she saw what she saw every day. Greg was reading the newspaper, Maria was cleaning the kitchen and Amber was colouring in some pictures. She kissed her daughter's head and took in the mismatched outfit of a bright red skirt with a green top. It would've been perfect in December. "Mi hija, did Troy dress you by any chance?"

She nodded. "Yeah. He didn't want you to wake up."

Gabriella looked around the place and sidled up to stand beside Greg. "Papi, where is he?"

Greg frowned and tilted his head to her. "He didn't go back?"

She shook her head. "I didn't know he'd left until just now."

"Well, he came in, dropped Amber here and left without a word. We'd assumed that he was going back so that the two of you could spend time together before work."

Gabriella shook her head. "No. But, his truck is here. Where is he? This isn't like him."

Maria moved to touch her daughter's arm. "It's okay. We'll find him. He'll be fine."

Tears welled in Gabriella's eyes. "What could be so bad that he can't talk to..." She trailed off when realisation dawned on her. "Oh..." She ran a hand through her unruly curls. "No. It can't be. Not yet. I need to find him. Now! Papi, where are the other workers?"

"Probably doing chores like they should be. Why?" he asked as he stood up.

"Troy's not working today. I'm going to go and find him. I think I know where he is. Just don't expect too much from him. I'll keep in touch." She never even spared them a glance as she ran from the kitchen and headed in the general direction of the creek they had gone to for their picnic. She allowed the adrenaline that pumped through her veins to do the movements of her limbs for her.

This couldn't happen. No. Things were finally settling down. Things were good. And if her suspicions were right, which she feared they were, things were going to start going downhill very quickly. She found a hedge that separated Greg's ranch from the dirt road which Troy had driven down on that beautiful night. She ran parallel to the hedge until she found a small opening. She squeezed through it and started running again, heading towards the large oak tree. A large brown gelding was tethered to the trunk. She stroked the horse's neck.

"Where is he?" she murmured.

"Go away," a voice grumbled.

Gabriella looked up and saw Troy sat on one of the branches, turned away from her. He looked tense and uncomfortable but she doubted it was because of the height. "You expect me to leave you?" she asked, hurt lacing her voice.

"I don't care. I wanna be alone," he muttered.

Gabriella stared at the tree, wondering how long it would take her to learn how to climb it. In the moment of silence, the only sounds were the trickle of the creek, the horse munching on grass and the singing of the birds. "But I don't want you to be," she admitted. "Isn't that the whole point of us being together? So that we're not alone? Through anything. Even this."

"I don't want to talk about it," he mumbled.

Gabriella breathed out deeply and stood on her tiptoes and gripped the lowest branch. Pulling herself up, she hoisted herself up next to Troy...but missed and fell the floor. Not even bothering to think about the searing pain coming from her wrist, she tried again and this time successfully settled next Troy. She held her wrist close to her body, trying to stop the white hot pain that radiated there.

"I'm not asking you to talk about it," she admitted. "I just don't want you to be alone."

"Did you fall?" he asked, finally turning to her.

"What?"

"Back then. Did you fall trying to get up here?" he clarified.

She blushed. "Yeah. My wrist hurts but that's not important right now. Don't walk away from me."

Tears welled in Troy's eyes. "She died. In her sleep last night."

"Have you been down there?" she murmured the question.

Troy shook his head. "No."

"Why not?" she asked tentatively.

He shrugged. "Makes it sort of finalised, you know?"

"I do." She paused. "Do you think you should go down there anyway? For no other reason than to give your dad some support?"

He sighed. "You're right. I don't want you to be but you are."

She touched his hand. "You know you don't have to run from me, right? I mean, you can cry or scream and yell or just be quiet. But I don't want you to be alone. You don't have to be embarrassed by any of that because you've seen me freak out about ten times and we both know I'm the biggest basket case in the world."

Troy chuckled lifelessly. "You're right."

"Remember what you said the other day? That you wanted me to be here when it happened?" Gabriella murmured.

"Yeah."

"Well, here I am. And I'm not leaving." She squeezed his hand. "Now come on. I'm going to drive you there."

"Don't complain about my truck again," he whispered.

She touched his shoulder. "I won't. I'm just going to drive you there. You're in no fit state to drive. Come on." She got down, or rather fell off the tree and got to her feet, rubbing her wrist.

Troy jumped from the tree and immediately greeted her with a chaste kiss. It wasn't passionate or sweet. It seemed to Gabriella that all he wanted was to touch her and to gain reassurance from her. He pulled back and sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry."

"Alright, Hollywood, I'm trying to be a good girlfriend here so I want to know why the hell you're apologising," she murmured, tracing his cheek with her fingertips.

His eyes sought hers and her heart broke when she saw the evident look of hopelessness, sadness and loneliness that was embedded in his orbs which were a duller blue than usual. "I don't want to make it seem like I'm pushing you away. I just didn't think it would happen so soon into our relationship. I know how hard your grandpa's death hurt you and I'm trying to protect you from that."

"Shh," she soothed, taking his face in her hands. "It's okay. It doesn't matter. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. I'm worried about you." She kissed his forehead. "Listen, I know that me saying that I know it feels really doesn't help and neither will me saying that I'm here for you. But, I want you to hold on to three words, okay? Can you do that?"

Blinking hard to clear his tear-filled eyes, he nodded. "Yeah."

"I love you," she whispered. "Just remember that." She turned away from him and began untying the horse from the tree. A moment later, she was sat on the horse, Troy behind her and they were slowly trotting back towards the ranch. Keeping the reins in one hand, she rested her other on Troy's leg. "Everyone was really worried," she mumbled. "Once I explained that I hadn't seen you, I mean."

He rested his chin on her shoulder, his arms around her waist. "I'm not sure what I was hoping for by running away."

She rubbed his leg consolingly. "It doesn't matter," she dismissed. "You're with me now and that's all that matters. But, if you dare do that to me again, I will have to make you do ballet."

Troy cracked a small smile but it disappeared a moment later. "I'm sorry," he repeated. "I didn't mean to make you worry, you know?"

"I know," she whispered. "Just try harder next time. And, you know, Hollywood, the next time something bad happens that makes you want to run away, do you mind taking me with you?"

"If you help me through this, just being with me, I'll take you everywhere I go," he promised.

She was quiet for a moment, allowing the familiar and rhythmic movement of the horse to calm them both. "Thank you for waking Amber this morning. That must've been difficult. Did she ask questions?"

Troy sighed. "Remember when we talked about the future? You said that Amber was doomed because of the both of us?"

"I remember," she whispered.

"You were right. She didn't want to leave without you and she knew something was wrong and she wanted to stay and make it better with those stupid cowboy dolls. How you slept through it is beyond me," he grumbled.

Gabriella sighed. "Me neither and I'm sorry that I did."

"I'm guessing that it's kinda my fault that you're tired, right?" he muttered.

She giggled quietly. "Little bit."

He was quiet for the rest of the ride and although Gabriella was now relaxed because he was safe and well, she knew this wasn't going to be easy. She remembered when she was eleven. For two years, she had pushed and struggled against anyone who so much as wanted her to talk to them. During those two years, she had spent time carefully building and crafting walls around her heart so that anything to do with Grandpa Montez was locked in and couldn't get out. And she shouldn't have done that. She just hoped to God that Troy wouldn't do the same. She had hurt people while she had been trying to protect herself. She didn't want to feel the pain and the frustration that her parents had for those two long years.

"Hey, El?" Troy murmured.

"Hmmmm."

"Just for the record, I love you, too," he admitted.

* * *

"Dad," Troy called out and immediately hugged Jack who was waiting for them in the hallway.

Gabriella stood to the side and offered a sympathetic smile to Jack when they separated. Tears dripped down Troy's cheeks and Jack's eyes looked tired and bloodshot. She touched his arm. "I'm so sorry."

He shrugged and sighed. "It's okay. She's not suffering anymore. I don't have to see her that way."

Troy breathed deeply. "Where is she?"

Jack gestured with his hand to the door next to them. "In there. Where've you been?"

Troy and Gabriella glanced at each other before she took his hand in a gentle squeeze. Troy turned back to his father. "Nowhere. I'm sorry it took so long."

Jack nodded, sensing that whatever had happened between them was just that: between them. "It doesn't matter. Would you like to see her?"

Troy nodded slowly and turned to Gabriella. "Will you come with me?"

"If you want me to," she offered and gave him comforting smile.

"Is it alright if Ella and me go in by ourselves?" Troy asked in a whispered.

Jack nodded. "Of course. Go right ahead."

Troy swallowed before he squeezed Gabriella's hand and led her inside. She watched him as he took in the sight which unfolded before them. Lucille was lying there, her hair splayed out behind her head, her eyes were closed and her skin was a pale yellow. The only sign that she wasn't alive was that her chest wasn't moving.

Tears sprung to her eyes and she gripped Troy's hand even tighter to steady her balance. He held her in his arms to hold her up and then they turned back to Lucille. Gabriella's heart broke. Memories flooded her and she was suddenly eleven, in her white and blue pyjamas. It had been early. Before 7AM. After Greg and Catalina had talked to the doctor at the hospital, they had invited Gabriella inside the hospital room. It was much like the room which Lucille's body was occupying now. It had smelt horribly vile of disinfectant.

It was horrible.

Since she was eleven, she had worked so hard to block out that memory. She didn't want to remember what Grandpa Montez looked like dead. Who would want that? And now it was back. That gut wrenching feeling which engulfed her entire body, making her breathless.

Tears streamed down her cheeks and she turned into Troy's embrace, burying her face into his chest. She wanted it to stop. She wanted to be alright. She wanted to be on one of her tours. When she was on a tour, she didn't have time to dwell on the past or the heartbreaking grief she had felt when Greg had told her that Grandpa Montez had died. She wanted life to be the way it had been before she'd met Troy. Before Troy, she had everything sussed. There were no surprises. She wrote books, went on tour, visited back home and then the whole thing would start over again.

But then the realisation came crashing down: this could've so easily happened without her being in Troy's life. He could've so easily had to be strong for Jack's sake. He could've so easily had to cope with it alone. It was just a chance of fate that they met. If it wasn't for Greg, they probably wouldn't have.

And that thought was unbearable.

She remembered all too well the anguish and the grief she had felt for two years when she had tried to block everyone out and cope with it by herself.

She pulled back to look into Troy's eyes. They looked much like hers did, she imagined. Teary, hurt and grief-stricken. She swallowed hard, trying to clear her throat enough to whisper to him. "It gets better."

"How?" he murmured.

"Because," she paused, faltering. She sighed and turned back to him. "Because she wants it to get better."

"It hurts, doesn't it? You remembered?" he asked suddenly.

She cracked a small smile and shrugged. "That's unavoidable. It's something you'll always remember and nothing will change that. Not even being in love. I tried to forget. But it didn't work." She shrugged again. "You've just got to accept that."

He embraced her tightly again and they stood there, crying together. "Will you speak at the funeral?"

"Do you want me to?" she murmured.

He sniffed and looked into her eyes. "Yeah."

"Then I will." She paused. "I can't offer you much. When my grandpa died, all people said was that I could talk to them or that they understood but they really didn't. So, all I want to say is that I love you. I can't offer you more than that."

He nodded glumly. "I know. And that's enough, okay? Just stay with me."

She shook her head. "I'm not going anywhere."


	20. Chapter 19

**A/N: Well, I remembered :D It's a miracle lol :P

* * *

**

Chapter 19

The whole ranch was devastated. It was no secret about Lucille's deteriorating health and it was clear how Lucille's death had affected Troy. Lessons were called off temporarily for all of the instructors and the only part of the ranch which continued was the care of the horses.

Troy was very much subdued, only speaking when spoken to. He hadn't gone near a horse in days and Gabriella worried about his mental stability. She knew that the only reason he sat down to eat was because she pestered him about that. And, even then, when they sat down for dinner, it usually ended up with Troy pushing his food around his plate.

She watched him from her bedroom doorway as he stood at the window, watching the scene before him. He looked sick. She knew he was showering and eating (even just a little bit) but it didn't seem to help. He looked pale and just...sick. Lucille's death was taking its toll on Troy and she knew that if she didn't do something soon, he would simply wilt away.

It was like watching a reflection of her eleven year old self. She'd already witnessed his disbelief. It had been on the car ride home. It broke her heart because she had been positive that he was halfway to honestly believing that she wasn't dead; that she'd wake up. Then, he'd snapped out of it and simply withdrawn from everything. Now all she had to wait for was the anger. She knew it was coming. It was like the calm before the storm. All of the anger was brewing inside of him and there would be a time when it would all come out in a rush and she hoped beyond hope that nobody else would be around. She would be able to cope with it. After all, the majority of their relationship had been spent yelling at each other.

She walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, facing away from Troy. Rain was lying on the bed and Gabriella stroked her fur gently.

"Why won't you just talk to me?" she whispered.

"What's there to talk about?" he snapped.

_Here it comes_.

She sighed. "Everything. I know it's hard-"

"Do you?" he exclaimed. "Could've fooled me. The last I checked, Maria's still alive."

She rubbed her eyes. "Hollywood, I'm trying here."

"If it's so hard, then stop," he hissed.

Gabriella laughed in disbelief. "Oh my gosh," she murmured.

"What?" he snapped and marched around the bed to face her. "What is it?"

She looked up at him, her hand still stroking Rain's fur. "I'm trying to help," she whispered. "Now I know exactly how everybody felt when Grandpa Montez died. This isn't good, Troy. Can't you see that? You're getting ill."

He shook his head. "I'm fine."

Gabriella turned him around to look in the mirror by her dresser. She peeked at him over her shoulder. "Fine? This isn't the man I fell in love with. And I want him back."

Troy's eyes sought hers. "It hurts, El. I don't want to be alright." He turned to face her. "Can't you see that? My mom just died. Forgive me if I don't feel so great right now."

"Troy, please, your mom wouldn't want this," she said softly.

"That may be but this guilt hurts too much," he cried in frustration.

She looked up at him in confusion. "Why are you guilty?"

"You don't see it?" he exclaimed. "Oh come on. Because of you I barely saw her in the past few weeks."

"Do not try and blame me for this," she hissed. "I never stopped you."

He shrugged. "Even so. I didn't see her. I wasn't there when she died."

"Troy, stop it. Think about it," she whispered calmly. "Did you ever think she was holding on this long until you fell in love? Maybe she wanted to make sure you were okay before she went."

Troy shook his head. "I'm not listening to this," he exclaimed. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Okay, Hollywood, I am trying to help you. What do you want me to do? Did you ever think that I might not be here? What if we hadn't met or I'd still been on one of my tours? Did you ever think about that?" she yelled.

"No," he shouted back. "I'm sorry, I've been a bit preoccupied by the fact that my mom has just died. How many times do you want me to say that?"

Gabriella took a deep breath and took his hand. "Alright. It's time. You're coming with me," she ordered as she began pulling him out of the room and out of her house.

"I don't want to go anywhere," he complained.

"I don't care," she hissed and pulled him towards the nearest barn, the one where they first met. She continued to pull him around to the back of the barn where a ladder scaled the wall. "Go on," she snapped.

"I don't want to," he protested.

She let go of his hand and breathed deeply. "Listen, Hollywood, I don't have to do this, okay? I have my manager on my back about this novel, I have Amber whining to me about wanting to play with you and I'm trying to help my dad keep this ranch going. So, please, just go up there."

Troy paused for a moment when Gabriella thought he was going to walk away but then he turned and began scaling the ladder. She followed him and she stood there with folded arms, watching the sunset. Finally, after a few moments, she walked the edge and sat down with her feet dangling over the edge. After a slight hesitation, Troy joined her.

"Why did you bring me here?"

She shrugged, tugging at a fraying piece of cotton on her dress. "I don't know." She paused. "Dad used to bring me here when I was a kid. We'd spend so much time up here. We'd watch the clouds and the stars." She sighed. "This is the first place I came after I saw Grandpa Montez after he died."

Troy was silent for a while. "So?"

Gabriella frowned. "So? You think I don't know what you're trying to do? I tried to do it myself and failed miserably. You're trying to block everybody out and that doesn't work. It just doesn't. Can't you see that?" she cried in frustration. "It hurts, okay? It hurts to lose somebody and there's nothing you can do about it. You just have to accept it and move on. You just have to."

Troy was silent, staring out towards the horizon.

Gabriella sighed and rested a hand on his knee. "Listen, Troy, I know that I haven't lost either of my parents but I've lost someone who meant everything to me. I hate seeing you like this."

"What do you want me to do?" he whispered, tears leaking from his eyes.

"Troy, look at me," she whispered.

When he reluctantly turned to her, she took his face in her hands. "I want you to believe that it gets better. These feelings won't last forever, I promise. Do you believe me?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I do. I'm sorry, El, I didn't mean to..." He trailed off, struggling to find the right words.

"Freak out?" she supplied with a smile.

"Yeah. Something like that," he mumbled.

She squeezed his hand. She was quiet for a while, letting him collect his thoughts. She watched as the descending sun slowly but surely changed the sky from an ocean of blues to a paint palette of pinks and golds. Her hand still held his and she simply waited. He would come around sooner or later.

"El?" he finally whispered. She wasn't sure how long it had been but she was grateful that he'd finally talked.

"Yeah?"

"Why haven't you left?" he mumbled.

She squeezed his hand gently. "Should I have?"

"Most people would have after the way I spoke to you," he whispered.

She shrugged. "I love you. And our whole relationship has been about arguments so I'm used to it. Besides, what kind of girlfriend would I be if I'd walked away?"

"A pretty shit one," Troy muttered.

"Exactly." She paused. "Hollywood, I know it's hard and I'm not going to lie; it'll hurt for a long time. You just can't live like this."

He kissed her cheek. "Can I thank you?"

She smiled and shook her head. "And why would I let you do that?"

He sighed softly. "Are you still speaking at the funeral?"

"Would you like me to?" she offered.

He nodded.

"Then I will," she whispered.

* * *

Gabriella listened quietly to the minister as he gave the expected sermon. Gabriella had one arm around Amber who was sat next to her and her other hand was resting on Troy's knee. The same as Grandpa Montez's funeral, it was peaceful. She knew exactly what she was going to say, she just hoped that she did Troy proud. The crematorium was packed. Each pew was filled but that wasn't a surprise. The workers from the ranch, the staff from the home and even some of the other residents.

Lucille's coffin kept drawing Gabriella's attention. Usually, an object which represented death and loss was something which people avoided; she could see out of the corner of her eye that Troy kept glancing at it then looking away. But, something about it was different. It was like she could tell that things would get better. Something about it gave her hope. Perhaps it was Lucille's optimistic outlook that had Gabriella thinking this way. But, as Gabriella stared at the coffin, she had a sudden rush of certainty that things would be okay; that, more importantly, Troy would be okay.

"And now a few words by Gabriella Montez," the preacher said.

Gabriella squeezed Troy's hand before she made her way to the podium with her notebook. She set it on the podium at the right page and took a deep breath. "Writing this was difficult. Not only was the man I love hurting, but I was being visited by memories I didn't wish to have. The last time I was in this crematorium was almost twenty years ago, when I said goodbye to my grandpa." She paused for a moment, looking out at the audience. "I didn't know Lucille very well. I'd only met her once. But, what I found was that she was an extremely admirable woman. She had many problems especially with her coordination and her speech but that didn't stop her having hope, faith and love. No matter what happened, she never stopped loving Jack. I didn't really know what love was but now I do." She sighed and wiped a tear from her eye. "I said something to Troy a few days ago about how I feel like Lucille held on this long to know that Troy was okay. To know that he was in love.

"Some people will say that it's easy for me to say this stuff because my mother is still here. But, I know that things will be okay. The pain and tears will be around for a while. But it'll get easier and we'll remember Lucille for what truly was and will always be: a loving, kind hearted woman. Thank you," she murmured and then went to sit back down with Troy.

She squeezed his hand gently.

He nodded and mouthed _Thank you_.

She shrugged modestly, knowing that somehow things would be okay. If only because they loved each other.

* * *

Gabriella breathed deeply as she picked up another platter of sandwiches, cheese and tomato on granary bread this time, and headed towards the living room once again. She now regretted volunteering her house for 'do' afterwards. There were too many people. She hadn't expected this. She just expected a few people from the home but no. The entire population of Scarborough had somehow managed to cram themselves into her house. It was beyond ridiculous. She was sure that not many of them actually knew Lucille and simply wanted free food.

She smiled politely as she carried the platter around and many people took sandwiches from her. She felt like a bloody waitress. How had she been degraded to this? She was an international bestselling author. And, yet, she felt like a waitress on the day of her boyfriend's mother's funeral. This was fantastic.

She'd never been a waitress. The job she had held for three continuous years when she'd been a teenager had been in a newsagent's in town. She'd never been a bloody waitress and there had been a reason for that. Something was bound to go wrong.

She looked around frantically, spotting Jack speaking to a few people, Greg and Maria sorting out the table of refreshments and Carmen was keeping Amber occupied. And Troy was... Huh? Okay, that's not good. She'd told him that she didn't want him to be alone so what does he do? He leaves to be alone.

Makes sense.

As she wandered around, searching for Troy, she felt her heartbeat quicken. _Thump-thump...Thump-thump...Thump-thump..._ Maybe it was an unfortunate consequence of the incident with Amber at the beach but she couldn't help the horrible feeling of dread building in her stomach. He wasn't supposed to do this. He was supposed to let her in. She knew what it was like to try and block people out. But, she'd let Troy in. Maybe not by choice considering the things had just slipped from her mouth, but she had. And yet, he was so obviously blocking her out. It was so frustrating. Why didn't he want to let her help him? She thought, apparently wrongly, that he had accepted her help.

Tears welled in her eyes. She wanted him back. She needed to make sure that he was okay. She began pushing herself through the throngs of people, trying to escape the confining space of her own home in order to not only breathe fresh, non-toxic air but to find Troy. She worried for him. Wasn't the whole point in being with someone so that you don't have to deal with anything alone? _Especially_ something like this? And yet, all he was doing was leaving so he could _be_ alone.

Her foot got caught on the leg of the coffee table and she went crashing towards the floor, landing nicely in her carefully made sandwiches. She glanced around the people huddling around her and she leapt up, ignoring the cheese, tomato and bread which clung to her clothes and ran out of the house. Once outside, she pulled her hair into a ponytail and took a deep breath. She began heading over to the barn and climbed up to the roof. Even if Troy wasn't there, she needed some time alone.

What was she supposed to do?

If this was a mini-me of their future relationship, she didn't like it much. Sure, everything seemed perfect at first, but now she had the impression that Troy would still want to be independent. To do things his way. This was how he had coped with things since Lucille had her stroke and she could see that it was simply a bad habit.

_Can you be with him if that habit doesn't break?_

She sighed as she climbed onto the rooftop and saw a hunched figure sitting at the opposite side. Could she be with him if he had a habit that hurt her in this way. She didn't expect him to open up and talk about his deepest, darkest feelings but she just wanted him to acknowledge her when he was like this. Many people had told her throughout her life that no matter who she hurt in the process, she had to take care of herself first. On top of that, she also had to consider Amber in all of this.

She had the nauseating feeling that the hope she had felt while staring at Lucille's coffin had been wrong.

She slowly made her way towards him and sat there with her legs dangling over the edge.

"Do I want to know?" he mumbled.

She cracked a tiny smile. "Probably not."

"What's wrong?" he asked immediately.

She almost confessed her doubts about their relationship to him but she realised that she'd simply be kicking him when he's down. She forced a smile and shook her head. "It's nothing. Stress and claustrophobia. There were too many people."

Troy squeezed her hand. "You did well. Even if you do look a bit disgusting right now."

She giggled. "Yeah. I feel disgusting." Sadly, she wasn't simply talking about being covered in food.


	21. Chapter 20

**A/N: Here it is :) I remembered :) Maybe because we had a snow day :D Enjoy :) xx

* * *

**

Chapter 20

Gabriella scratched her pen through her last paragraph and sighed, wiping her eyes tiredly. Unable to sleep, she'd come down to the stables at 3AM and simply...wrote. She was surprised her eyes still managed to conjure up tears. It seemed impossible for her body to still make them. All she could think about was Amber. Amber was the most important person in her entire life. It was a curse of motherhood, she concluded. She had to sacrifice her heart for her daughter's.

Troy would eventually break her. Or maybe he already had. Although, Gabriella knew that blocking people out was a natural and immediate reaction to losing someone. But, Troy was a part of her family now. He was a part of Amber's life. And Gabriella couldn't stand the thought of him blocking her out. Amber wanted him to be there for her. She wanted the guy who talked about horses and baseball. Gabriella wanted him, too. But, she didn't know if he was ever coming back.

Chica trotted over and nudged Gabriella's cheek with her nose.

Gabriella smiled weakly and stroked the horse's nose. "What would you do, girl?"

Chica huffed but stayed there, Gabriella's ever-faithful companion.

More tears leaked from Gabriella's eyes. She'd have to tell Troy how she felt. No matter what he said, she was going to end it. That was the easiest way for everybody. She could predict that he'd try to convince her otherwise and that he would try to open up more. And maybe he would. After all, the love they shared was special. She didn't want to let it go. But she also knew she couldn't go on like this.

When Grandpa Montez had died, Greg had talked openly to Maria. Even through her grief-stricken haze, Gabriella remembered sitting at the top of the stairs, listening to Greg and Maria talk. They sometimes talked about their worries for her well-being but mostly they just talked. It could be about things as simple as Greg's feelings whilst out riding or something as deep and meaningful as how much Greg missed his father. Even at twelve, she knew that it was hard for Greg to talk about his feelings but she also knew that that made him human. It showed his love for Maria. They would pray together some nights, asking God to take care of Grandpa Montez and to help Gabriella. More often than not, Maria wouldn't offer advice for any of the problems that Greg put forward, but Gabriella knew that just by sitting there, listening to him, comforting him, praying with him, she was helping and showing her love for him.

And she and Troy would never have that, would they? At least, not the way Troy was acting.

She dropped her notebook to the floor and curled up on the hay bale. She let the earthy smells surround her. Tears leaked from her eyes but she let them fall. She succumbed to the feeling of helplessness. She didn't have to call any of her friends or even Catalina to know what they all would say: to look after herself before others. It was impossible for her to imagine a future for them. She just...couldn't. She once thought that he'd simply be there, no questions asked. Considering Amber was in the equation, marriage had crossed hers and Troy's minds, too, no doubt. But it wasn't happening now.

And it would be her fault.

She would be responsible.

And she'd do what she did best: write and be by herself. It was better that way.

"Ella?" Troy's voice called.

Gabriella straightened up and wiped her eyes. "In here," she called quietly.

Troy wandered in, his smile faltering when he saw her. "What's wrong?"

She almost said _Nothing_ like she had the last time. But she couldn't. She couldn't go on like this. She needed to know where this was heading. She reached down and picked up her notebook, holding onto it as if it was the only thing keeping her alive. "Troy," she whispered, her voice breaking, "I can't do this. I'm sorry."

He sat down next to her. "El?" he asked worriedly.

"I don't think we should be together. You and me. Maybe I'm better on my own. I always have been," she mumbled, as if she was talking more to herself than to Troy. She lifted her head to look into his eyes. "I love you more than I thought possible and this is breaking my heart. But, maybe it isn't. It was broken before that. When you blocked me out. And kept blocking me out. That's when my heart broke."

He frowned. "So...You're breaking up with me?"

"I have to," she breathed.

"You don't have to do anything," he exclaimed.

"Wrong," she snapped. "_You_ don't have to do anything. You don't have a child to worry about. I do. Okay? I can't risk being with you if you're just going to block me out when things go wrong. That isn't how relationships work. It's a bad habit and it will hurt when you break it. You'll be exposed and vulnerable. But it's better that way." She sighed. "You have every right to hate me for doing this. Just don't take it out on my dad. Don't leave the ranch."

"El, please don't do this. I'll do anything," he pleaded.

She shook her head. "But you won't. I want to be with you but I can't do this if you don't let me in. It doesn't work that way. I'll be the first to admit that relationships have never been a priority for me and I don't have that much experience but I know that much. If you really wanted to feel better, to overcome this pain as soon as you can, you'd let me help, you'd talk to me. And you're not, are you?"

He turned away from her, rubbing his hands together compulsively.

She sighed and got to her feet, heading out of the barn. She came to a halt when she felt Troy's hand grip her wrist, slowly linking their fingers together like they had been a million times before. It should've been a feeling of familiarity, of comfort for Gabriella. But the only feeling which washed over her was that of loneliness, of hurt, one of inescapable anguish.

"You said you'd never walk away," he muttered through gritted teeth. "That you'd be with me through everything."

She slowly turned to face him, flinching at the anger and hurt which emanated from his eyes. "I thought you were going to accept my help," she snapped. She took a deep breath and looked back at him. "Troy, I don't want this to end in a fight. I don't want a fight to be our last moment together."

"It doesn't have to be our last moment together, period," Troy cried. "Come on, El. After everything we've been through?"

Tears rolled down her cheeks. "I don't think I can live without you," she breathed, pressing her forehead against his chest.

Troy wrapped his arms around her. "I love you so much, El. I don't want to be without you."

She pulled back and stepped out of his arms, knowing that if she let him get too close, if he talked too much and touched her in that special way of his, she would cave in and she wouldn't get anywhere. "I don't want to be without you, either. But you understand why I'm doing this, don't you?"

"You're really ending this," he breathed.

She shrugged helplessly. "What choice do I have, Troy? Amber wants her Troy back. Just like I want my Troy back, the guy I fell in love with."

There was a short silence when Troy rubbed his eyes. "Well, then, I guess I should go and, you know, get Rain and take her back to my house. I've still got to help Dad to sort through Mom's stuff so... I guess I'll see you around at some point." He brushed past her, heading towards his truck.

Gabriella spun around. "Troy," she cried.

He stopped and turned to her, throwing his arms into the air. "What do you want to say? You've just broken up with me. After everything, after we slept together." He sighed. "I thought you were different. Goodbye, Gabriella. Good luck with the book." He turned around and jogged towards themain house.

Gabriella trudged out of the barn and headed to the main house. She stood outside the front door, gathering her courage. She could hear Troy's voice inside. Troy's voice had only ever spoken words of love to her with the occasional hints of anger and annoyance. That voice, in the last five minutes, held so much hurt because of her.

Summoning as much courage as possible, she pushed the door open and stepped through to the kitchen. She opened her mouth, about to ask where Maria was when she saw Troy, seeming to look more handsome now that he was officially not hers anymore. It seemed uncanny that she felt so guilty, so pained and so heartbroken considering how little experience she had with men compared with some women.

She wanted to talk to Greg. He was, after all, her father. But the only word she could muster was, "Sorry," before she rushed out of the kitchen and ran up the stairs, bursting into the room which used to belong to her. She would've gone back to her house, to be surrounded by familiarity. But she knew that it would somehow make it worse. The room was now bland. It had a serene yellow theme after being transformed into a guestroom. Gone were the posters, bookshelves and the completely covered notice board and the walls were now covered with floral yellow wallpaper and the double bed had matching covers.

She collapsed onto the mattress and sat staring at the opposite wall. She didn't shed a tear, she didn't sob or make a sound. She just sat there, listening to the faint sound of Troy's voice. It was so tempting. Her mind recalled that beautiful night when they made love together, when Troy had spoken to her so softly, so lovingly that it was hard to believe that they had simply yelled at each other for the majority of their relationship. It had been so beautiful. And she had sacrificed that to, not only protect her but, protect Amber. Hearing Troy's voice almost made her run downstairs and beg for his forgiveness. But then she'd be back at square one.

Taking the pen from the metal spiral spine of her notebooks, she then flipped to the next empty page. **Chapter 23**. The final chapter. The majority of the book was based on her life, on her relationship with Troy. But the final chapter wouldn't be real life. It would be her dream. It would be her happily ever after that never happened. It would be her second chance that she would never get.

* * *

The door creaked open but Gabriella didn't bother to glance up. She kept scribbling, almost at the end of the chapter. She just needed a few more minutes. If she was truly honest with herself, she'd admit that writing a happy ending to a love story was actually sort of fun. She'd always assumed that writing a happy ending would be cheesy, corny and repetitious. But, now she realised, whether it was in a book or if it was in reality, the ending wasn't important. It was the journey there that mattered.

Feeling someone's eyes on her, she paused her writing and looked up, coming face to face with Sharpay and Zeke. "Go away," she mumbled, knowing exactly what was coming. Even though she'd hardly ever been in this situation before, she knew her friends. And on top of that, her friends knew her. Scarily so. It sometimes seemed that Sharpay knew her better than she did.

"What were you thinking?" Sharpay exclaimed.

"What my wife is trying to say is what happened?" Zeke asked softly, sitting next to Gabriella on the bed.

Gabriella sighed and turned back to her notebook, continuing with her final chapter. "Things just didn't work out."

"Why? Everything was going great, wasn't it?" Zeke asked before Sharpay could.

Gabriella shrugged silently.

"Gabriella," Sharpay snapped.

Gabriella flinched but then looked up timidly at her best friend.

Sharpay sighed and sat next to Gabriella. "I'm sorry, Gabs."

She fiddled with her pen but stayed silent.

"Gabs, come on," Zeke urged. "Talk to us." He rested a hand on her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her when she curled into him. Zeke was a constant. Knowing him since nursery had made her have a nice comfortable centre to orbit around. Everything made sense around Zeke. Zeke knew things others didn't. Zeke helped her and, more importantly, listened to her. He never judged. He simply...was. The brother she never wanted but was lucky enough to get.

Sharpay glanced at Zeke but then shuffled closer to hold her husband and best friend in her arms. "What happened?" she mumbled as they separated and Sharpay softly ran her fingers through Gabriella's raven hair. Maybe it was a reaction to seeing her friend so broken, a repeat from when Grandpa Montez died, or maybe it was a maternal instinct but she knew that Gabriella was hurting as much as Troy evidently was.

Gabriella's fingers fell numb, unable to hold onto the notebook any longer and she watched pitifully as it fell to the floor. She closed her eyes and slumped against Zeke's side. "I let him go."

Sharing a wife and husband telepathic signal, it was decided that Sharpay should be the speaker. "Honey?" she murmured.

Gabriella turned to her, trying, and failing, to hide her guilt and sorrow. "Hmmm?"

"What do you mean you let him go?" Sharpay mumbled, still stroking Gabriella's hair.

Gabriella shook her head to herself. "It wasn't our time. We just weren't meant to be. It was too rushed."

Zeke held her hand. "Gabs, we thought it was going really well."

She nodded. "It was. But, he wouldn't talk. He wouldn't let me help and I couldn't cope with that. It was wrong, I know, but I love Amber too much for him to be that way." She bent down and picked up her notebook, smoothing the crumpled pages. "Before you all go judging me, I love him and I always will." She allowed herself to re-read the previous chapter. She'd never cried at a book before, much less one of her own. And maybe it was a result of her already fragile state. But, seeing the words 'I'm sorry' spoken by the female protagonist, it seemed to make things worse. Lindy was strong, sure of who she was and, most importantly, she was stubborn as hell. She was merely a reflection, a confession, of Gabriella's true persona. Lindy was the version of Gabriella who she had unwillingly unveiled to Troy and unknowingly made him fall in love with her. Seeing a reflection of her apology to Troy written on the page was like a revelation.

She would always love Troy.

She sighed and stood up, turning to her friends. "I have a book to finish," she murmured before she turned around. She paused and turned back to them. "I won't give up on him. I guess fate changed its mind for now." She turned back and left the room before Sharpay and Zeke could possibly see the tears welled in her eyes.


	22. Chapter 21

**A/N: Here it is. Next week is the final : Enjoy

* * *

**

Chapter 21

Gabriella folded another shirt neatly into her small suitcase. Pulling the zip closed, she sat down on her bed, running a hand across her face. Some would think that she regretted ending things with Troy. But they would be wrong. She was simply exhausted. Between finishing her book, looking after Amber, running the ranch and avoiding Troy, she hadn't had time to simply...breathe. How had her life come to this? She supposed people who didn't know her that well would probably laugh. She had spent so many years not looking for love and not really caring for it. And now...She was almost broken for giving it up in order to protect Amber. The results were very ironic.

She lifted up the framed picture of Amber from her bedside table. It was simple, capturing the pure essence of her daughter. She was sat on the island counter in the kitchen of Greg and Maria's house with brownie mix all over her face, grinning at the camera. She was the only reason she had ended things with Troy. If she hadn't wanted to protect Amber so badly, she would've persevered. But, Amber was the most important thing in her life. And she was one of the reasons why she had made this decision. Greg and Maria kept trying to persuade her not to do this, to keep things as normal as possible. But, this was right for her. Things may go wrong but in that situation, she'd just work it out and find a way to make it right.

She packed the photo into the bag along with her purse and notebook. She pulled an oversized Cambridge sweatshirt on and then brought her backpack onto her shoulder. She glanced around her bedroom. It had been two weeks. Windows had been opened, perfume had been sprayed and the sheets had been changed. And yet, if she thought hard enough, if she closed her eyes, she could still smell Troy in her room. It gave her comfort, despite how much it hurt when she opened her eyes and she realised that, in fact, her room smelt of the earthy scents which came naturally with the ranch and a hint of Chanel perfume. And Troy wasn't there at all.

She picked up her small suitcase and carried it down to her car. She opened the boot and put both bags in there. She shut the boot with a little more force than necessary. The loud _thump_ which was produced seemed to finalise her choice. She leant against the boot and sighed. This was what she needed. She needed to get away from the ranch. She needed to start getting her life back on track. And that meant breaking the routine of publishing a book, going on tour, spending some time on the ranch before it started all over again. It had to stop. For Amber's sake.

"Mama," Amber cried.

Gabriella turned around just in time for Amber to jump into her arms. "Oh, mi hija," Gabriella mumbled as she kissed Amber's hair. She looked into her daughter's eyes and brushed her blonde curls from her eyes. "Where did you come from?"

"I was at Grandma and Grandpa's, painting you this," she exclaimed as she waved a piece of paper in front of Gabriella's face.

Gabriella took the piece of paper so that she could look at it properly. "What's this?" she murmured. The second she registered what the paper actually was, tears formed in her eyes. There were two multi coloured blobs, one bigger than the other. It took Maria's neat handwriting beneath the blobs for Gabriella to realise that it was a painting of Gabriella and Amber together.

"Do you not like it?" Amber murmured sadly.

Gabriella turned to the little girl. "What?"

"You're crying," she mumbled.

"I'm crying because I'm happy," Gabriella mumbled.

"Read the back," Amber said excitedly.

Gabriella turned the paper over and in Amber's childish scrawl, no doubt with help from Maria, it read:

_**I'll miss you, Mummy**_

_**I love you**_

_**Amber**_

_**xxx**_

Gabriella held Amber even tighter and then kissed her forehead. "Oh, Amber, I love it. This is wonderful. I'll be back in three days, okay? And we'll talk on the phone and you'll have loads of fun with Charlie and Grandma and Grandpa."

Amber nodded. "Alright. I really will miss you, though."

"I'll miss you, too," she whispered.

"Gabi," Greg exclaimed as he approached with Maria. "So you're really doing this?"

Gabriella shrugged. "I guess so. But I have to. If this book gets published, I won't be happy. Besides, I need to stay here and spend some time with Amber, you know? Maybe I could become a riding instructor," she mumbled.

"Would that be a good idea?" Greg asked quietly, glancing between Gabriella and Maria.

Gabriella shrugged. "As long as we have different shifts, I don't see why not."

"Well, we can discuss it later," Maria exclaimed, keen to clear the awkwardness. "Greg, take Amber over there, I want to talk to Gabi."

"But-" Greg began.

"Go," Maria ordered.

Greg reluctantly took Amber and walked towards the front steps of Gabriella's house. "It's a good job I love you," he called over his shoulder.

Maria rolled her eyes and turned back to Gabriella. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Gabriella nodded timidly. "Mum, I'm nearly thirty. I'm not sure how many chances I'm going to get to be with a guy. I'm not sure how many chances I'll get to have children before I'm too old. So, I sure as hell am not going to miss Amber growing up. And as for the book, I guess it'll just stay unread. And maybe it's better that way."

"I still don't understand why you wrote about you and Troy. You've never written about your real life before," Maria said in confusion.

Gabriella sighed, leaning against her car. "I didn't know where to begin. You know how worked up I was getting. So I based the book on us. I didn't think it would end. I thought I'd just add in a dramatic event to mix it up and the book would sell and me and Troy would simply..." She sighed. "I didn't think it was that big of a deal."

Maria brought Gabriella into her arms and held her as if she wasn't her twenty-nine year old daughter, but the tiny little scrap of a baby which the midwife had handed to her shortly after enduring nine hours of labour. "Mi hija," she murmured. "It'll be okay."

Gabriella pulled back and shrugged. "Maybe. But, that's not important anymore. What's important is that I want to focus on Amber. She needs me and I need her. So, this is for the best. And, you know, if Dad really disagrees with me becoming an instructor, I could always start some night classes and help people with creative writing."

Maria sighed. "As long as this feels right."

Gabriella smiled weakly. "It does. I can't let that get published. It would hurt too much."

Maria nodded. "Well, you're old enough to know if this feels right." She turned to where Greg was playing pat-a-cake with Amber. "Greg, honey, you can bring Amber back over."

Greg got to his feet, with Amber in his arms and immediately handed the little girl over to Gabriella. "Be careful, won't you?"

Gabriella smiled. "Of course. I love you, Papi."

Greg kissed her forehead. "I love you, too."

"Be careful," Maria warned as she hugged her daughter.

"I will be," Gabriella murmured. She hugged Amber tightly and kissed her forehead. "You be a good girl, okay?"

Amber nodded timidly. "I will, Mama."

"I love you, mi hija," Gabriella murmured as she kissed the little girl's forehead.

"I love you, too," Amber whispered as tears began leaking from her eyes.

"I'll miss you," Gabriella promised as she gave Amber to Maria. "I'll see you later."

She blew her family a kiss and was just about to get in her car when she spotted Troy heading towards the students' stables. He glanced over at her. It was strange. To the outside world, they were now strangers. Nothing had happened between them. At least, it now seemed that way. Troy now had a beard back but that didn't stop Gabriella thinking, remembering. The beard never took away the memories of the way he had touched her and held her.

Their eyes connected. Her heart raced. She prayed to God.

She thought for a moment that he'd actually come over and talk to her and let her explain. But he didn't. He waved at Greg and Maria but then carried on his way.

That was the thing: she was the reason it had ended. She had been protecting Amber. And, yet, she still wanted him to come back and successfully persuade her that he'd talk to her more and that he wouldn't block her out.

But he didn't.

So she got in her car and turned the radio on, welcoming the comforting and familiar sound of a jingle for a local business. She rolled down her window and reached out to hold Amber's hand. "I'll call you as soon as I get there, I promise." She let go and waved a final time before she pulled away, heading down the main road.

* * *

"Yes, mi hija, I love you, too," Gabriella murmured as she stood on the balcony of her hotel room. "Good night." She hung up her phone and looked out across the city of Manchester which greeted her with the yelling, rumbling engines and honking horns. She never thought she'd be happy to be back in a big rowdy city after the beautiful weeks she'd spent in Scarborough. But, being in a city, in a hotel room, she felt at home. It brought a feeling of familiarity and routine.

Before she could truly relax and welcome the beautiful Manchester horizon, her mobile rang once again. She sighed, seeing Sharpay's face flashing up at her. Her friends were worried and convinced that ending things with Troy had caused her to have some sort of mental breakdown. She had worked so hard to get her first book published...and now she was taking it all away.

She pressed answer on her phone and held it to her ear. "Hey, Shar. What's up?"

"What's up? I think you're crazy," she exclaimed.

Gabriella sighed, running her fingers along the smooth metal railing. "You've told me every day for the past two weeks."

"I was hoping to convince you to change your mind," Sharpay whispered.

"Do you remember at Sixth Form when Zeke was talking about wanting to go to uni at Edinburgh because of the catering programme they ran there? Even though you guys had been planning to go to Cardiff together for about five years?" she asked, looking at the twinkling stars. "And he told you that he wanted to go back home and open his own bakery. What did you say?"

"That I'd be there because I loved him," Sharpay muttered reluctantly.

"Why is this different?"

Sharpay sighed. "Because this is the opposite. You're taking away everything you worked so hard for."

"But I'm not. I'll always love writing but I have something more important now. I have Amber and I can't choose writing over her. I wouldn't be a very good mother if I did that." She sighed. "I'm not saying I'll never write ever again. I just need time."

"I guess you're right."

"Thank you."

"Are you going to do anything about Troy?" Sharpay asked.

"What can I do? He won't talk to me. And I guess I can't blame him for that. I was mean," Gabriella mumbled. "Do you think I was wrong Shar?"

"I don't know. You had good intentions. You were thinking about Amber and no mother can criticise you for that. But as a wife and a mother...Gabs, you had to stand by him. He'd talk when he was ready. Don't you see that?" Sharpay asked, her tone more maternal than friendly.

"Yeah, I see it," she muttered. "I think I was scared, Shar."

"You? Scared? Those two words don't go together," Sharpay joked.

"Yes they do and you know it. I think another reason I ended things is because I was scared. I'm better off alone. I always have been. You know that."

"I know, Gabs, but you can't live like that. Troy was good for you, wasn't he?"

"Yeah, but it's too late now. Anyway, I better get some shut-eye. I'm meeting with Janey in the morning."

Sharpay sighed. "Just be careful, okay? Goodnight, Gabs."

"Goodnight, Shar," Gabriella murmured as she hung up the phone. Wrapping her arms around herself, she stared up at the moon. She wondered if Troy was looking at the moon, too. If he was, it was the only connection they had.

* * *

"Gabi," a voice exclaimed.

Gabriella looked up from texting Zeke to smile at the sight of the woman who had been there beside Gabriella for the whole three years of her writing career. The woman who had pushed her talent to the limit. With a tightly pulled blonde ponytail, impeccable makeup applied and a smart suit, she was the sheer vision of a businesswoman. Gabriella knew otherwise. Gabriella knew that beneath the clothes, OCD and the pristine office, there was a woman who loved night clubs, having one too many glasses of wine and wearing dresses which would be classed in some countries as a criminal offence if worn in public.

"Janey," she greeted as she jumped up and embraced her agent slash friend.

Janey pulled back and tugged at the small side ponytail of curled black hair. She narrowed her eyes, scrutinising the navy blue dress and white shrug Gabriella was wearing. "What's wrong?"

"We need to talk," Gabriella said simply, eyeing the open office door over Janey's shoulder.

Janey frowned but nodded. "Okay then." She turned around and led Gabriella into the office which was, predictably when Janey was concerned, literally sparkling with cleanliness. The sunlight shone brilliantly through the wall-to-wall window and reflected off her glass desk which was covered by nothing less than a computer, a notebook and a photo of her partner. And, no, not business partner.

Gabriella gestured to the frame as she sat down opposite Janey. "How's Grace?"

"She's fabulous, thank you. Still working at the vets on the northern outskirts," Janey answered.

Gabriella nodded. "That's great."

Janey sighed. "What is it? I know you wouldn't simply come here for a chit-chat about me and Grace. No matter how much I want to talk about my girlfriend. You didn't even come here to submit the manuscript. So what is it?"

She gripped her bag tightly and her phone with so much force, she wondered how it didn't smash to smithereens. "I'm retracting the book."

Janey paused, blinking once, twice before sitting back in her office chair. "I want to laugh at the prospect but, you're serious, aren't you?"

Gabriella shrugged uncomfortably. "I don't want it published. I want it back. It was a mistake. I'm sorry to have wasted your time and all but this is just wrong. I can't let it be published."

Janey sighed. "Gabi, if you retract this, we'll have to let you go."

"I know," she mumbled. "But, that's good. I need Amber right now. I can't stand the thought of leaving for a year."

"What happened?"

"It's personal. I just want my book back," Gabriella murmured.

Janey nodded. "Okay then. I'll get right onto the publisher and get it back to you in the post."


	23. Second AN

**A/N:**

**So, in celebration of the final chapter next Wednesday (so sad that it's over!), I am going to try a little project. You guys are amazing to me and I'd appreciate your help with this.**

**I want to make a promo type thing for 'Serendipity' and I don't just want to use quotes from films. I want to use quotes from the story. So, to do that, I will need some volunteers to record little voiceovers of lines that I give.**

**I'd love to have people help me with this and you're all welcome to do it, guys and gals of all ages :) (as long as you have a good quality microphone!)**

**Characters needed:**

**Gabriella**

**Troy**

**Amber**

**Greg**

**Sharpay**

**Maybe more. It depends what I plan the promo to be like (I'll have it plan it out) So, all you have to do is contact me. Message me on here, review, facebook, twitter, however you like. And just tell me that you're interested. This going ahead depends on how many of you are interested :)**


	24. Chapter 22

**A/N: Well, here it is. 22 Chapters later and I'm still sooooo happy with how it turned out. Thanks to school, the Wednesday Weekly Updates didn't work out quite how I planned (sorry for forgetting so often!) so, maybe I'll do it on a Saturday next time ^^**

**Will you hear from me in the near future? I'm not sure. I'm working on a oneshot but it may be a while before I'm completely satisfied with it and willing to upload. I am working on another story but it's something new. Different. I want to write the full thing and see where it goes. If I'm happy, I'll upload it chapter by chapter. But I'm not sure when that will be.**

**This story has been so much fun to write. I've never really written about a relationship like this one. It was really fun to write about my hometown, too. :)**

**On a final note, I have four university offers. Who knew? People want me to attend their school o.O**

**Anyways, enjoy.

* * *

**

Chapter 22

Before Gabriella could comprehend who was at the front door, Sharpay had her crushed in an embrace. Succumbing to Sharpay's comforting arms, Gabriella returned the hug. Just a few days had passed since her meeting with Janey and Gabriella had successfully managed to be front page news on the cover of the local paper two days in a row. It was the one time she cursed the quietness and the low crime rate. She hadn't been able to go anywhere without strangers, fans or not, staring at her as if she'd just landed from Mars.

Sharpay pulled back, beckoned Charlie inside and kicked the door shut with her foot.

"Careful," Gabriella scolded. "I just cleaned that."

Sharpay quirked an eyebrow. "OCD much?"

Gabriella rolled her eyes but gestured for her friend to follow her. "Come on in." They went through to the kitchen and Gabriella began pottering around the kitchen, preparing the kettle to make her friend some coffee.

"Gabs?" Sharpay murmured.

"Yeah?" she murmured absentmindedly.

Sharpay sighed. "Doesn't matter."

Amber skipped in, immediately colliding with Sharpay's legs. "Auntie Sharpay!"

Sharpay chuckled, ruffling Amber's blonde curls. "Amber! Go and play with Charlie," she encouraged, knowing that Gabriella needed her.

Amber nodded. "Is Mummy okay?"

Sharpay smiled. "She'll be fine. Now go on. I need to talk to her."

Amber sighed and spoke to Charlie as they walked into the living room. "That just means they're going to be talking about Uncle Troy."

Sharpay chuckled and turned to see Gabriella obsessively cleaning the kitchen unit. She wasn't sure what the recent weeks' events had caused but it surely wasn't good. Of course, Gabriella had always been organised but this was seriously bordering on OCD. "Gabs?" she murmured quietly.

"What?"

"Gabs," she said more forcefully and stepped towards her best friend to take the damp cloth from her friend. "Stop it."

Gabriella cowered back and shrugged. "I need to keep busy. Busy works for me. You know that."

Sharpay pointed to the stools around the island counter. "Sit."

Knowing better than to argue, Gabriella perched herself on an island stool and stared almost accusingly at a brown package at the opposite side of the counter.

Sharpay threw the cloth into the sink and continued preparing their drinks. "I used to know that being busy was good for you. Knowing that it stopped you being in pain, I admitted it was a good thing. But," she said as she sat down next to her best friend with the drinks, "that was before I saw you with Troy."

"Don't start," Gabriella hissed, cradling the steaming mug in her hands.

Sharpay shrugged. "I'm your best friend. I tell the truth."

Gabriella sipped her drink but otherwise stayed silent.

"Did you hear what Amber said? She knows that you belong with him. She knows that you love him. Most importantly, she can see how badly your decision is affecting you," Sharpay said softly.

Gabriella set her cup down and ran a hand through her hair. "He won't even look at me."

Sharpay nodded slowly. "And that's because he's hurting. Ergo, he still loves you."

Gabriella quirked an eyebrow. "Ergo?"

Sharpay shrugged. "Taylor taught it to me." She took a sip of coffee. "He will look at you. He's just being the arrogant, stubborn jerk you know and love."

Gabriella cracked a smile. "I guess so. I told you he was stubborn."

"Sadly, you're right," Sharpay mumbled. "It makes my job harder."

Gabriella looked at her friend in shock. "Shar, no. Please. Don't play matchmaker."

"Why not?" she whined.

Gabriella stared into her coffee. "I hurt him. We need to do this by ourselves. We're grown ups. We can handle it ourselves."

"But you're acting childish," Sharpay shot back. "You won't be brave and talk to him and he won't even give you the time of day. This calls for best friend intervention."

"No," Gabriella whined. She faltered. "That didn't help the childish case, did it?"

Sharpay shook her head. "What if I just talk to him? I won't mention you at all. I promise."

Gabriella drank the last of her coffee and bit her lip. "Promise?"

Sharpay nodded solemnly. "I promise."

"Fine," Gabriella relented.

"Yay," Sharpay squealed. She quickly drank the rest of her coffee and hugged Gabriella. "It'll get better."

"If you say so," Gabriella whispered.

"I know so," Sharpay replied. "So, what are you doing later on?"

Gabriella breathed out deeply. "I am going to propose to Scarborough library that I run creative writing classes in the hall there. It would give me a job if I charge students and it gives the library advertising, obviously."

"Do you want me to watch Amber?" Sharpay offered.

Gabriella considered. "Sure. Why not? I was going to ask Mum and Dad to watch her but it might be best if you have her."

Sharpay smiled and nodded. "Okay, then. That's fine. She can sleep over if you'd like."

"Sure," Gabriella murmured.

"She doesn't have to. I don't mean to impose," Sharpay mumbled quietly, sensing how Gabriella seemed to be agreeing to it to shut Sharpay up.

Gabriella laughed, pressing her forehead to the palm of her hand. "You? Impose?" She looked at Sharpay. "Maybe that's a good idea. I need to think things over."

Sharpay nodded. "Okay then. Do you want to go and get some things for Amber?"

"Yeah," Gabriella mumbled as she stood up and took the dirty cups to the dishwasher. "I'll be back," she murmured as she headed upstairs.

Sharpay tapped her manicured fingernails against the counter, listening to the giggles of Charlie and Amber. She glanced around her friend's kitchen, finally noticing the brown package. "Hey, Gabs?" she yelled.

A moment later, Gabriella came back down with a pink backpack crammed with Amber's necessities. "I was only upstairs," she muttered. "You didn't have to yell."

Sharpay shrugged. "Anyway, what's that?" she asked pointing to the brown package.

Setting the bag on the counter, Gabriella lifted the package and ripped the brown parcel tape off. She reached in and brought out a pile of paper that were tied together with butterfly tags. She slid it across to Sharpay. "That's my book."

Sharpay peered at the title page. "_Finding Me_ by Gabriella Montez."

Gabriella shrugged. "You can read it if you want."

Sharpay flicked through the mass of papers and it took only a matter of seconds for the realisation to dawn that it was about Troy. "Yeah," she replied, looking at her friend. "I'd like to read it. Is that okay?"

"I'd love for you to read it," she whispered, looking down at the ripped up brown paper which once contained the manuscript. "Not many people will."

Sharpay smiled. "Thanks, Gabs. Things will get better. You'll be with him."

"I hope so," she whispered. She smiled at her friend as Sharpay stood up and hugged her.

"I love you," Sharpay murmured.

Gabriella pulled back. "Love you, too."

"Sisters?" Sharpay asked.

"Forever," Gabriella promised. "Thanks, Shar."

Sharpay frowned. "I haven't done anything. But, give it time and I promise Mr Too-Obnoxious-To-Give-You-The-Time-Of-Day will be back in your arms faster than you can say sexy time."

"Shar," Gabriella hissed, smacking her friend's arm. "Our kids are in the next room."

"What?" Sharpay exclaimed. "You were thinking it."

Gabriella reached for the pink backpack and held it out. "Go. I have to get ready. And stay out of trouble. I don't want Troy quitting because you meddled."

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Have some faith in me," she exclaimed.

Gabriella smiled. "Yeah, yeah. But, please be careful. The only reason Troy didn't quit his job is because I made him reluctantly promise to stay here for Dad's sake."

"I'll be careful," Sharpay reassured. "Charlie, Amber," she called.

A moment later, the two children skipped in. "Yes, Mummy?" Charlie asked.

"We're going now. Amber, would you like to sleep over?" Sharpay asked.

Amber and Charlie looked at each other and a moment later, Amber nodded. "Yeah. Of course."

Gabriella crouched down. "Be a good girl, okay?" She stroked the blonde curls on Amber's head.

Amber nodded. "I will. Cheer up, Mummy. You still have me."

Tears well in Gabriella's eyes. "I know," she whispered. "I love you so much, mi hija."

She placed a wet kiss on Gabriella's cheek. "I love you, too, Mama."

Gabriella stood back up and smiled at Sharpay. "I'll see you later, then."

Holding the backpack and Gabriella's manuscript, Sharpay hugged her friend again. "You will. And don't worry about Amber. She'll be fine."

* * *

"Bolton, open the damn door," Sharpay yelled, pounding aggressively on Troy's front door. She paused and smiled reassuringly at Amber and Charlie. "Sorry, kids, this will only take a minute." She sighed with frustration. "Bolton."

A moment later, the door opened and Rain bounded out. The door opened wider to reveal Troy. With a beard, tatty jeans and a plaid shirt, it was amazing that he had ever changed at all. He frowned but smiled in welcome at Amber and Charlie. Ignoring Sharpay, he bent down to greet the two children. He ushered Amber, Charlie and Rain inside and then turned to Sharpay.

"Am I invited or do I have to stay here outside all day?" she asked impatiently.

Troy scratched his beard and reluctantly gestured for Sharpay to step inside.

"Thank you," she murmured as she stepped in and headed for the kitchen.

"Do you want a drink?" he mumbled as he walked in and began putting the stacks of dry crockery away.

"Uh, no, I'm alright, actually. This won't take long, I promise." She set her bag, which had the manuscript inside, on his island counter and sat down on one of the stools. "Was I interrupting anything?"

He shook his head as he continued putting dishes away, more to avoid Sharpay's eyes than anything else. "No. I wasn't doing anything."

She waited patiently until there were no more dishes to be put away and so he had no choice but to sit down next to her and to acknowledge her. "How have you been?"

He shrugged. "Alright, I guess. But, in case you didn't know, I lost my mom."

She nodded slowly. "I know, Troy. Everyone's worried."

He shook his head, staring out of the window. "Not everybody."

"Please don't judge her," Sharpay whispered. "She doesn't deserve that. She made a mistake, so what? Let her apologise. And, while you're at it, you can apologise for being an ass."

He frowned. "What?"

She rolled her eyes and sighed. She took a moment, sending an apology to the Lord for breaking her promise to Gabriella. "I promised I wouldn't meddle but don't think that everything's hunky-dory over on that ranch, okay? They're just playing happy families for Amber's sake. If you'd have heard the arguments they had..."

"Arguments?" he asked in confusion. "What arguments?"

She frowned. "Where have you been? Didn't you hear what Gabi did? It was all over the news."

"I don't read or watch the news. What did she do?" he demanded.

She sighed and reached into her bag, bringing out the manuscript. She set it on the counter in front of him. "I have to go now. But, while I'm gone, please ask yourself the question: why is this manuscript here and not at the publisher's? It might explain everything a little more."

"But," Troy started.

"I have to go," she repeated. "Any questions you still have will be answered in there." She pointed to the manuscript.

* * *

Gabriella locked the front door behind her and threw her keys aside. She slipped her shoes off but left them carelessly in the hallway. She couldn't stand the thought of taking the time and energy to make the house neat when she was the only one who was going to see it tonight. All she wanted was to curl up in her bed, wear her Cambridge jumper and watch _Sex and the City _re-runs. A bit of Carrie Bradshaw never hurt anybody.

She trudged up the stairs, heading straight for her bedroom. She dropped her bag carelessly to the floor, not caring that her phone battery had died about an hour ago whilst in town. She didn't bother to put it on charge. If anybody needed her, not that they would, they could phone the damn house.

She stood at her dresser and moved her eyes over her mass of jewellery which covered the surface as she pulled her hair out of her bun. She shook her head to make her hair fall naturally and then proceeded to take her earrings out. Being by herself scared her, she realised. It gave her chance to think and to remember what she threw away. But, despite how scared she'd always been about her feelings for Troy, she wanted him back. She might feel scared of her feelings for him for the rest of her life but that didn't matter anymore. What mattered was knowing that she'd hurt Troy, herself and Amber wasn't a stupid kid. She knew what had happened between her mother and Troy.

Shaking the thoughts from her head she reached down and began to pull her t-shirt off. She paused just before pulling it over her head when she saw a man's reflection in the mirror. She spun around and quickly righted her shirt. As her mind recognised Troy, her heart rate began to slow and she gripped her dresser for support. "Troy, don't scare me like that," she pleaded, avoiding his eyes. She kept glancing at him, wondering how his beard could possibly be making him sexier than she'd ever seen him. It didn't go unnoticed by her that there was a bottle of Merlot on her bedside table and he still had his shoes on whilst lying on her bed.

But, for whatever the reason, maybe from relief that he was actually acknowledging her, she didn't mention his shoes.

"Oh, please, don't stop on my account. I was enjoying the show," he joked.

She looked towards him, wondering how the hell he could be making jokes with her after weeks without so much of a glance. "Yeah, how did you get in?"

"Spare key under the mat? You told me," he explained.

She rolled her eyes to herself. "I need a better hiding place." Shaking her head, she turned back to him. "How's your dad?"

Troy shrugged as he sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. "Okay. He's alright. He visits her grave a lot. All he keeps saying is that he still has me."

"Isn't that enough?" she murmured.

"Yeah. I guess it is," he whispered.

Gabriella stared at him curiously. "What are you doing?"

"Me?" he exclaimed. "I was about to ask you the same question."

She frowned. "What?"

He reached under the pillow and brought out the familiar manuscript.

At the sight of it, Gabriella rushed towards it. "Give it back, it's mine," she cried.

Troy leapt up and held the wad of papers above his head so that she couldn't reach it. "What were you thinking?" Troy hissed. "Withdrawing this?" he asked whilst waving it in her face.

She snatched it from him. "Did you read this?"

"The first two chapters. Now answer my question," he demanded.

She shook her head. "You were never meant to read this. Not after I ended it. That's why I withdrew it, Troy. I didn't want people to read about what I messed up, okay?" She shook her head and walked over to put the book on top of her wardrobe. She turned to him and sighed. "I'm sorry. And I'll say it until I die because I never meant to hurt you." She wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands. "I was trying to be a good mother and I guess I turned into a crap girlfriend."

At the sight the tears streaming down her face, Troy rushed forward and took her in his arms. He held her tightly against his chest as she welcomed his embrace. He sat down on the edge of the bed and let her sit in his lap. He held her in his arms as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Hey, El?" he murmured.

"I know," she whispered. "You hate me and you have every right to."

"No," he murmured. "I hate you but only because you were stupid enough to give up your career for me."

She looked him in the eyes. "Don't go getting a big head. Amber was part of the reason, too."

"That's not what I'm telling people," he joked, sending a wink her way.

"I really am sorry, Troy," she mumbled.

He nodded. "And I forgive you. And for the record, if you thought that this relationship was bad for Amber, I'm glad you ended it. You know I love her."

She nodded slowly. "Yeah, I know. But I was wrong."

He frowned. "What? I thought you were protecting her?"

She nodded fervently. "Of course I was. But I didn't realise how much not having you here would affect me and would, ultimately, affect her." She took a deep breath. "I love you so much, Troy. I need you back," she whispered, stroking his neck.

He sighed. "I don't know, El." He had to hold a smile back at her hurt expression. "I kind of preferred it when you called me Hollywood."

She looked at him in shock, hope filling her eyes. "You mean that?"

He looked away. "I want you back," he mumbled.

"Sorry?" Gabriella asked.

He sighed as he turned back to her. "I want you back, too. I'm sorry for blocking you out. I didn't mean to. And for giving you the cold shoulder. I'm sorry about that as well."

She smiled at him. "It's okay," she murmured.

He suddenly remembered that he hadn't shaved in days and sought her eyes. "Do you want me to shave? Because I can."

She bit her lip as she traced his jaw line. "No. Don't shave."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Who are you and what have you done with Gabriella?"

She shrugged. "I want you back. If you want a beard, you can," she paused to swallow hard, "you can have a beard."

He nodded slowly. "Okay then." There was a small pause. "So, you want to give it another shot?" he asked quietly.

She bit her lip and nodded. "Sure, Hollywood. And I won't walk away."

"And I'll at least try to talk. Just don't expect miracles."

She shook her head. "I don't."

"Do you mind if I read the whole of your book? The first couple of chapters were pretty good," he said, tightening his arms around her.

"As opposed to average?" she teased.

He rolled his eyes. "Alright, you're a brilliant writer."

"Thank you. And it's taken you three years to recognise that." She rolled her eyes.

"We'll be okay," he promised. "It'll be hard, we'll fight but we just have to, you know, love each other."

She nodded solemnly. "I know. I love you so much."

He kissed her cheek. "I love you, too, El."

Gabriella rested a hand on his neck and tentatively leaned in to kiss him, despite his beard. It was probably from relief of them getting back together and, given time, she'd probably beg him to shave, but in that instant, all she knew was that she loved him, beard and all.

He pulled back and looked at her curiously. "Was it bad? The beard, I mean."

"I can live with it. Maybe. But, don't waste time shaving right now. There are more important things to do," she murmured as she popped open the top button of his plaid shirt.

He smiled at her as he lay her down on the bed and crawled on top of her. He went to kiss her but Gabriella stopped him. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"When we move in together officially, do _not_, under any circumstances leave your shoes on when you lie on the bed," she warned.

He rolled his eyes. "Really, El?"

She quirked an eyebrow. "Take them off. Now. Before they ruin by bed sheets."

He sighed and leaned down to kiss her, despite her protests about his shoes. "Let's just enjoy tonight, okay? Let's not spend it yelling at each other."

"But, where's the fun in that?" she asked, sending him a smile.


End file.
